Fairytale Perfect
by elfsborg91
Summary: The ups and downs in the realationship between Rose and Scorpius, with drama, romance jealousy and humor. First chapthers have been edited and last one replaced for those who wants to know. Read and enjoy.
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter one**

"Rosie, why don't you let your father take the trunk at least?" Hermione walked beside her oldest child, seemingly more excited about Rose's sixth year at Hogwarts, and as a prefect too.

"Do I look like a _donkey_, Hermione?" Rose and Hugo shared an amused look, as Ron was already carrying Hugo's things, except for his broom.

"You mean mule, Ron." Hermione corrected her husband without really thinking about it, as they made their way to platform nine and three quarters, which were crowded by families saying good bye to each other.

"Ron, Hermione, over here!" They saw Harry's face in the crowd and his waving hand as he stood closer to the Hogwarts express together with his family. Ginny smiled at Rose and tried to give Hugo a hug just to bug him as he tried to get away. Ron was talking quidditch with Harry, thinking back to their own glory days as Rose talked with Albus, who tried to ignore his sister's complaints about him not showing enough understanding towards women.

They talked for a short while before Lily and Hugo decided to take off to find a compartment, leaving Rose and Albus to get all the well wishing from overjoyful parents. Rose almost felt relieved at the thought that today there were only the close family, the big good bye was taken care of the day before at the Burrow when her grandmother had gathered them all-

* * *

Finally, almost right before the train began to move did Rose and Albus get on the train together; bumping into various students. Rose could feel how she stepped on someones foot, but forgot it when someone by accident knocked her against Albus. Finally the most students disappeared as they found their friends and the two of them continued their search for their younger relatives.

"Do you have to meet with the other prefects right now?" Albus asked his cousin in an extra whiny tone, while she was dragging both her trunk and owl cage through the narrow corridor, expertly manoeuvring them.

"Of **course** I have to, Al. Don't _worry_; I'll come back to you when it's over, you know that." She patted him on the arm and smiled sweetly.

"I'm not _worried_, I'm **just asking**." He said in a slightly annoyed voice and dusted off some imaginary dust on his arm were Rose had patted him earlier.

"Yeah, so you know for how long you can snogg Jenny Longbottom before being **interrupted**."

"Ok, you got me…" He threw up his hands in fake defeat, and they both laughed, while continuing looking for the wanted compartment.

"Hey Rosie, Al, in here!" They turned around when they heard Rose's younger brother Hugo shout over the heads of all the first years, which had appeared moments earlier and were now busy with studying the train in awe, their eyes bright with underlying excitement. Some of them almost jumped out of their skins at Hugo's sudden out burst.

So with difficulty Rose and Albus made their way towards the open door that the boy held up. Inside, except Hugo, was of course Lily and Albus' girlfriend Jenny who smiled at him, which made his face turn into a deep red colour before his face showed a big grin as he slid down beside her.

"Well, I better be of now, don't want to be late." Rose smirked at Albus and then said in a low voice so that only he could hear her. "I'm sure you can come up with something to do in my absence. Or what do you think, _**Albus**_?"

She then quickly left before her cousin would do something to her appearance, like alter it, so that she wouldn't be able to show herself at the meeting.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter two**

Rose quickly hurried down the corridor, the prefects meeting was going to start any minute now. She came to the door and reached out to open it when she felt a hard push, which made her hit the floor. Looking up she was met by the ugly face of Lucy Goyle, her pug face became even more unattractive when she turned her lips into a smirk and said.

"So you have finally found your place, _**Weasley**_." Rose's face heated up in a burst of anger and embarrassment, and she was going to snap back, when Scorpius Malfoy told Lucy that they should get inside. He didn't even glance at Rose, who for a moment was happy that he hadn't said anything about her current humiliation, even if he never really had done anything mean to her.

He just acted like he was better than everyone else; ignoring most of the people except if they addressed him directly. She couldn't stand it; it annoyed her to no end actually, especially when almost all the girls in school were swooning over him. He never seemed to have a girlfriend, even if girls like Lucy threw themselves at his feet begging him do what ever he pleased with them, an approach which was by the statistics clearly unsuccessful.

At first Rose had actually thought that maybe he was ignorant of it all, but then he had to be really stupid and unobservant, which she knew that he wasn't, since he was among the top of every subject, only Rose was better, but this could both be explained by her genes and that he had his quidditch practices. He was a chaser for Slytherin and Rose's father had joked the first time he had heard that and wondered how much his dad had paid to get his son on the team. However as even Hugo and Albus, two quidditch fanatics, had to admit, he was really good at it. Hugo had even said that he didn't think that mr. Malfoy cared that much about what his son did at school, as long as he wasn't embarrassing the family name, but being on the quidditch them was definitely on the plus side in almost everyone's eyes.

Lucy didn't try to hide her disappointment when Malfoy opened the door to get in, but she didn't object. However as she moved towards the compartment she shot one last glare at Rose, trying to look as threatening as she could manage, but she didn't pull it off that well. She just looked like she had got something in her eyes.

* * *

Rose huffed in frustration when she got up, then slid the door open and sank down in the seat next to the other Gryffindor prefect, Charlie Thomas, who gave her a questioning look.

"What happened out there?" He whispered to her, while he looked at Lucy who tried to make Scorpius laugh at what had happened outside. "Ha, good luck with that!" Rose thought, but he clearly only listened to her to some extent, while his face displayed just how indifferent he was about the subject. Rose knew that Malfoy never laughed, or at least not with people he didn't count as his close friends, and Lucy was not one of them. She leaned slightly to be able to whispered back to Charlie.

"Just a close meeting between _friends_. I've _missed_ her so **much**…" She ended it with a mock sad face, pretending to be close to joyful tears while Charlie smiled brightly at her.

"Do you think that he will ever go out with her?" He joked and she had to control herself not to laugh out loud at the comment, it was outrageous to even suggest and that's what made it so funny.

"Will he ever go out with _**anyone**_?" Charlie adapted a thoughtful face, tapping his fingers against his chin, but before he had time to really respond they were interrupted by the head girl, someone from Ravenclaw, Rose wasn't sure about her name.

However the head boy was the son of Cormac McLaggen, Paul. He looked almost exactly like his father, and acted as him as well. Even if Rose was annoyed by Malfoy, she thought that Paul McLaggen was even worse. She repressed a small shudder when she caught him looking at her, his eyes glazed over as he completely ignored the girl beside him.

"If everyone's here, we should start." The Ravenclaw girl said, and the sound seemed to bring Paul back to his normal, obnoxious state, as he interrupted the girl. Rose sighed inwardly, resting her head in her hands. She noticed that Malfoy was slumped against the seat, his gaze towards the ceiling. For a moment she wondered what he was thinking about, but quickly caught herself and forced her concentration back to McLaggen.

"Yes, and since I am head boy this year…etc" Rose realised that it was basicly impossible to really listen to his ramble; all the others seemed to think the same as her and were now quietly chatting with the person next to them. She was bored out of her mind by now, and Paul was still talking and it didn't seem like he was close to finished yet.

Then suddenly he got all their attention when he started to talk about pairing everyone up for patrolling, he then winked at Rose who turned red once again with anger and awkwardness. What was he doing now? She didn't think that that expression which graced his face would result in anything pleasant, at least not for her part.

"Since we already know the ones in our own houses, we should choose someone from another house. **I** will go with Rose Weasley."

Rose sighed, she didn't want to go alone with him, and she dearly hoped that this wasn't permanent pairings. The others got paired up, and she got a sympathetic look from Charlie who was patrolling with the Hufflepuff girl, who silently stood beside him while she combed her fingers through her hair.

She could see Lucy Goyle's highly disappointed face when she was stuck with the Ravenclaw boy, Rose actually felt pleased by that, and Scorpius who had an indifferent expression when he walked over to the head girl, who had turned red.

"So Rose, shall we go?" Paul held the door open for her, and she walked reluctantly past him and out.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter three**

"So Rose, how was your summer? Mine was quite good; my dad took me to meet all the important persons at the ministry. You know my dad, Cormac McLaggen, he is a famous quidditch player. He was in the Gryffindor team when he was in school…" Paul rambled on and Rose tried to listen, but he didn't' seem to really care if she responded to what he said or not. But when he started to talk about the quidditch team, she knew that he was either lying, or his dad was. She didn't know how many times her parents; uncle and aunt had talked about when her dad had beaten McLaggen in the try outs. But she had understood that there was more to it than that, something about a Christmas party, which none of her parents wanted to talk about.

"You know what we can _do_ Rose, now when we are _alone_ and _away_ from the other **losers**?"

He interrupted her thoughts and at first she just stared at him, surprised that he was actually waiting for her to answer, not understanding what he meant. He continued when he saw her confused expression with a new tone in his voice, she wasn't what it was, but it was like he thought that she was being deliberately dense. "We can sneak in to an empty compartment…"

Rose now realised exactly what he meant, why he had wanted to go with her, and she suddenly felt that she had to get away from him, quickly. Looking around, scanning for an excuse to leave, she saw a lonely first year down the corridor. She saw her chance and took it without further thought about it.

"Oh… Paul, but I have to help… that student. I'll find you later… I promise." She hurried towards the little girl, before Paul could say anything, he would surely not be too pleased with this turn of events, but she didn't care much about that right now.

* * *

She was almost at her destination when someone else got to the first year before her; she had to force herself to not grit her teeth together in annoyance or stamp her foot on the floor.

"**Malfoy**, she was my _**excuse to ditch McLaggen**_!" She hissed so that only the blond boy could hear her, but he only smirked at her and said in a low voice.

"Well _**Weasley**_, you have to be faster next time. Now if you excuse me, I have to show her to the rest room."

He took the girl's hand and started to walk in the other direction, the younger girl looked down at her feet as they walked away while Malfoy looked straight ahead. For a short moment Rose just looked at them from behind, it looked almost silly, the difference in height between the two of them, but she then realised that now she had no excuse to stay away.

She really didn't want to go back to Paul already, so choosing between the two persons she could not stand, she choose to go after Malfoy anyway.

* * *

"What are you doing Weasley?" Scorpius looked at her with suspicion mingled with mild surprise, she didn't know what to answer, and she had hardly ever spoken to him before.

"_Well_… I don't want to hear more about the **famous** _Cormac McLaggen_ than necessary. And **you**, why are you here with the excuse?"

He had his blank face now, showing nothing, but it seemed like he had to think about how he should answer the question.

"It's always better to be with strangers, they don't have any expectations. All but the first years have something to say about me. Otherwise it is better to be alone, because then you don't have to depend on anyone." It was a well thought answer, but an answer that took her of guard, she hadn't expected him to say something like that.

"I… guess you can… have a point." She didn't know what to say to that, and it was a relief when they came to the restrooms.

"Here it is. Do you want us to wait outside?" Rose asked the little girl, who whispered a quick no, and then hurriedly went in, clearly embarrassed from the silence that had hung over them all the way to where they were now. The door closed soundlessly behind the girl, leaving the two prefects in a thick, to Rose highly uncomfortable, silence.

* * *

Rose could feel the intent gaze Scorpius had fixed on her, as he just stood there, with no apparent intention to go back to his probably waiting patrolling partner. Then he suddenly cleared his throat and slowly started to ask her.

"Shouldn't you go back to your… _boyfriend_?" She felt funny when she saw him smirk at her, his ice blue eyes boring into her own, but she forced the feeling away with the help of annoyance and the frustration she wasn't able to unleash on McLaggen.

"He is not my **boyfriend**, how can you think _**something like that**_, you…" She stopped when she saw that his smirk had changed a bit at her outburst, it became slightly softer as he smiled at her. It was then she understood that he had made a joke. Scorpius Malfoy had joked, and was now smiling at her; she sarcastically wondered how many girls would kill her for that just to be in her place right now.

She found herself again, and this time she smiled back at him. She could feel her ears turning red, and she hoped that he wouldn't make a comment about that.

"I get it now, _boyfriend_… **ha**… in his dreams." There was a tensed silence between them as neither one of them seemed to now what to say next, but then Scorpius straightened up from his leaning position and looked down the corridor.

"Well, I think that at least I have to go back now, been away long enough for it to not look to suspicious." And with that he was off, leaving Rose with no other choice but to walk the other way, the one which they had come from.


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter four**

"There you are, Rose. I was just beginning to look for you." Paul came up to her and laid a hand on her left shoulder. "How about that thing I mentioned before, up for it?"

She thought fast, she hadn't expected him to catch up with her this quickly, and now she had to come up with something, fast.

"I would _love_ to, but you know… Albus is waiting for me, probably really worried sick if I know him right."

"Ah, I see. Don't want to upset the family, people close to you, like **_you and I_** can be." Now he had his whole arm around her, pressing her side against his side, and then he began to lead her towards the compartment which Albus and the others were currently occupying.

"Sure, you don't want _that_…" She wasn't sure what she was answering with that as she unwillingly walked there beside him. Painfully aware about the fact that everyone who looked out of there compartments could see her with Paul McLaggen, and they would assume things, things she didn't want anyone to assume. Thinking about Malfoy's comment before, what if the students thought so, that Paul was her boyfriend, but she had made it perfectly clear that so wasn't the case, or at least she thought she'd done it. The nagging feeling followed after them as they walked, and she couldn't fully get rid of it.

"There they all are, let's get in and say hi!" Paul's voice almost made her jump, she had been deeply occupied by the disturbing thoughts about them as an item, but when he slid the door open she was met with various coulered flashes and angry shouts from her brother and cousins.

"How come you can have a _girlfriend_, **but me and Rose can't have boyfriends**!" A furious Lily bellowed as she glared at Albus, who had noticed Rose, and was now looking at her with pleading eyes. She took this as another, even better, excuse to get away from McLaggen, or rather get him away from her.

"_Paul_, I think it's for the best if you leave us alone, this will most probably get _really_ _messy_. You don't want your new robes to be dirty before we've even reached Hogwarts, do you?"

"Rose, you are the _perfect girl_, thinking about stuff like that, you are right. I'll see you soon." And with this and a last terrified glance at Lily, who had her wand out, pointing it somewhere in between Hugo and Albus, he left.

"Oh, he will be such a **_great_** head boy this year!" Rose muttered sarcastically under her breath, before she slowly turned to her angry relatives, mustering up some of her authority as one of the older, and in this case, wiser. "Listen, guys, we don't want this to be one of those embarrassing train rides, like that time James got his tongue stuck to his nose because he asked Tracy Gellar out, after she had said no to him ever since like third year." This made the others chuckle slightly, they hadn't let the eldest Potter live down this event, and the memory of it was just as good. "So let's put the wand back down, we all know that Lily would beat you anyway."

"**Hey**!" Both Hugo and Albus turned to her, irritated that she pushed that button.

"Well it is _true_…" Albus girlfriend Jenny spoke up, she had been reading her magazine for young witches calmly, being used to this kind of behaviour from all the Potters and Weasleys.

Albus who couldn't be mad at her just slumped down next to her, glaring at Rose though the whole time, and Hugo finally got Lily to sit down on the opposite side.

"So how was the meeting, sis?" He then proceeded ask, knowing that someone had to ask the question sooner or later, but already looking uninterested as he played with the owl he had beside him.

"It was ok." Rose sat down and took out one of her books, holding it up extra high, hoping that they wouldn't ask anymore, but of course they wouldn't let it drop.

"Just **_ok_**…?" Albus looked at her, his anger replaced with concern for the lack of excitement it should be when Rose told them things like this. She would usually be talking non stop, sometimes forcing Hugo to drastic measures to get her to shut up.

"Well, I had to patrol with McLaggen, _sorry_ if I don't want to bore you to death."

"Why is it so bad to patrol with him?" Jenny looked confused at Rose, who shrugged. "At least he's not from Slytherin."

"Maybe Rose would rather walk with Avery, Goyle or Malfoy." Albus laughed at his own joke, but both Hugo and Rose glared at him.

"Rose would never **want** to do anything with them, right Rose?"

"Of course not!" She didn't mention that she actually had gone with Malfoy, even if it was just to get away from McLaggen for a while when he was too insufferable. Her relatives wouldn't understand, since they all thought that most pure-blooded wizards was indeed the source of all evil in the world, which it almost had been, but that was a long time ago. She reasoned that what ever they didn't know wouldn't hurt them, or rather infuriate them.

Their conversation ever so slowly drifted off to more comfortable subjects, like what they thought that the new year would be like, and soon they realised that it was getting darker outside, and they could see mountains and woods. The others got dressed, Rose, who already wore her robes, went out to check the hall ways. Before she left she told them that they didn't need to wait for her, and she got some muffled responses from Albus and Hugo who now had their clothes over their heads. Shrugging she asked them to get her things off the train to and smiled when Hugo, she still couldn't see his face, held up his hand and waved her away dismissingly.

* * *

She found it quite hard to shout out directions to the first years, who seemed to be everywhere and nowhere at the same time, bumping into each other as they looked around nervously.

"If all the first years could come over here, **please**." She tried to get their attention but in the ocean of students it was impossible. While complementing if she would do something drastic, like shout at the top of her voice and jump up and down while franticly waving her arms in the air, she didn't notice someone coming up behind her.

"Need some help there, Weasley?"

She got so surprised at this that she swiftly turned around, and in the process smacked Scorpius Malfoy hard in the face with the back of her hand.

"Oh, sorry, you scared me! Are you ok?"

"**Ouch** Weasley, do you **_always_** greet people like **this**." He rubbed his aching jaw, and she could feel her cheeks burn with embarrassment. "It _really hurts_, I know you did it on _**purpose**_." He looked down at her and she wanted so badly to look away, but then she found herself and with that the annoyance over the situation. It wasn't her fault that he snuck up on her.

"No, of course not. Stop _**whining like a baby**_, I'm sure you didn't do that when you got hit by that bludger last year."

"I'm not a **baby**, and that bludger was nothing **_compared_**..." They glowered at each other as he spoke, but it came quickly to an end when someone forcefully bumped right into Rose, which in turned hurled her forcefully into Malfoy. He was close to losing his own balance, but regained it by holding on to her tightly against him. They stood like that a second, completely still, but then realised what it might look like, and they both quickly stepped away, more like jumped, as if they'd got burned by the other.

"_Don't do that again_." Scorpius said in a low, suddenly cold voice, and for a moment she was stunned, she hadn't done anything, except by an accident been thrown at him. He was there, he saw what happened.

"**_I didn't do anything_**!" However he had already disappeared among the crowd of first year, lead by the head boy, who winked at Rose when he past by.


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter five**

Rose was still upset for the way Scorpius had left it between them. Who did he think he was? She was thinking about that when she climbed into the last one of the carriages. Her thoughts distracted her, which resulted in that she didn't notice Paul McLaggen already seated in there, waiting for her. He had left the first years with Rubeus Hagrid down by the lake, as they where going to the castle by boats, and then made sure that he would have the carriage for only Rose and himself.

Rose groaned inwardly as she opened the door, she didn't feel like listening to Paul once again, but since she had no other choice she slumped down in the opposite seat, trying hard to avoid eye contact.

"So it's only you and I left. What a _**lucky**_ _coincident_, indeed..." He smiled one of his charming smiles that most girls wished he would give them, or at least he thought so. "What do you say about us getting to know each other a little better?" Now suddenly he had moved, so that he was sitting next to her, his arm around her shoulders to increase the physical contact even more as they sat there squeezed together.

The carriage made a jerk and began to move, Rose felt stiff as she sat and tried to be as still as possible and control her temper. Obviously she didn't want anyone to see the scene and misunderstand it. Slowly, yet firmly, she started to pry his hand off of her, but this took her attention away from his face, which was getting closer to hers by the second. When she then turned around she found his mouth covering her own. Abruptly she pushed him, and when she was met by his goldfish expression she felt a strong urge to slap him.

"_Whoo_… **_What_**… _Why did you do that_!?"

"Paul, I don't go around kissing people like that. This is **_no_** _**exception**_."

His face still looked the same, and she felt like it was going to be hard for him to get the message. Her frustration was threatening to boil over, and all she wished was that she could get out of there and put as much distance between her and Paul McLaggen as possible.

* * *

Meanwhile they had entered the Hogwarts grounds and slowing down to come to a halt before the big, oak doors. The dim lights had never looked as welcoming as they did now.

Hastily she got out and rushed towards the doors, all other students where already gathered in the great hall for the sorting, so she had to sneak in, while attempting to not disturb anything.

At first she thought that she had been unnoticed, since the room's undivided attention seemed to be directed to the sorting ceremony, but she could then feel a pair of ice blue eyes observing her. Turning her head slightly she meet the steely gaze of Scorpius, who looked at her and then McLaggen, when he not as discretely as Rose, entered into the hall and sat down at the Hufflepuff table.

For some, to Rose, unknown reason, Scorpius expression hardened even more by this. He turned his head to the sorting, not sparing a second glance at her. Extremely confused she did the same.

"What is it with him, has he finally snapped, or something?" She thought to herself, as the food began to appear before them. Deciding that she shouldn't bother to dig deeper into the mind of Scorpius Malfoy, since she knew that that was in fact something that she didn't know if she could handle at the moment, it was way too complex. No one would probably ever be able to fully understand that man and his thoughts.

* * *

Later as she and Charlie led the Gryffindor students to the tower, Rose felt like she was going to fall asleep right on the spot. Charlie who noticed joked and put an arm around her, as to drag her, support her, the rest of the way up to the Gryffindor tower.

"Rose, don't fall asleep just yet, I can't take you up to the _girls dormitory_, so it will have to do with the **boys's**."

This made her eyelids snap open, but she laughed and nudged him playfully in the side.

"In your, and the others _dreams_. Besides, I don't think Al would be too happy with you, or what do you think?"

"It's no harm in a _mere_ suggestion." He said, throwing his hands up in mock defeat and smiling brightly at her.

They reached the portrait of the fat lady, which swung open after they had instructed the first years about the password and then said it too the fat lady, who swung open the portrait and revealed the common room.

* * *

Rose said good night to Charlie, and then to her cousin and brother who had stumbled in after the first years, apparently they had had a race about who would reach the common room first, since Hugo was now doing his victory dance in front of some cheering second years.

Shaking her head while smiling at her brother's antics, she then proceeded to show the girls in the first year where they would sleep for the up coming seven years, and then she got into the sixth years room, which already contained the other girls in her year. There was one muggle born, Sam and then there were Jenny and Christine Finnegan, daughter to Seamus and Lavender.

"Sure, Jenny, Albus Potter is _handsome_, but he is **nothing compared** to Scorpius Malfoy. You could say that Albus is a lizard while Scorpius is a Hungarian Horntail, no competition whatsoever."

Rose almost shivered when she heard Christine's silky voice, the way she talked about boys; they were just objects, existing to fill her needs and if they didn't reach the quote they were disposable and easy to exchange.

"Well, in her case, maybe she has to." She smirked at her own thought, even though she knew it wasn't true, Christine was rather pretty, with her long, dark blond hair and very feminine looks, and she knew it all too well. Many boys at Hogwarts had asked her out, but now it seemed like she had a target, a worthy challenge which later could be displayed for everyone to see.

"This year Malfoy is going to go out with me, just wait and see. He can't resist me." Christine lay on her bed, smiling at the others, unaware of their, in Sam's case, jealous faces and spiteful glances. Then her attention got to Rose, who had sneaked in, hoping to do so without being noticed.

"I am so jealous of you, Rose. You can spend as much time as you want with my darling."

Rose had to repress a snort, like anyone had a chance with Malfoy, and if they had, the chance wasn't getting any bigger if you called him darling, of that she was sure.

"You know Christine; I don't think he is looking for a girlfriend."

"That's _nonsense_, or maybe you are just _jealous_… But why would you be that, you have McLaggen, he is quiet good looking too." Christine looked out the window and down at the quidditch pitch. "Oh, there's my sweetie now, he really loves that game of his."

Rose had started to get annoyed, but her curiosity had the better of her when she too looked out the window. She didn't think she would be able to see much since it was dark outside by now, but she was wrong.

There was Scorpius, alone and just flying round the pitch at top speed doing loops and rolls at times. She heard a soft sigh from Sam, before noticed that Christine had something dreamy in her eyes, and Rose was hit with a thought. What if Christine became Scorpius girlfriend? Suddenly she didn't want to talk to the other girl, but then another thought came, why did she feel like this? It was just Malfoy, he could do whatever he wants, and she doesn't care. He could date Christine, and that wouldn't bother her. She was only worried that he would perhaps break the poor girl's heart when he let her down, yes that was it…

* * *

She got into bed and closed the drapes around her, but they didn't shut out her own thoughts which continued to nag at her while she waited for sleep to finally over take them. However the sound of Christine voice, talking about Malfoy reached her, making it impossible for her to block it out. She sighed in frustration as she turned on her other side and feared that this would be one of those nights when Christine just wouldn't stop talking.


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter six**

The next couple of weeks went by smoothly. All the lessons had got started, and with that the homework too. Rose spent her afternoons and evenings studying either in the library or the common room, sometimes with Al or Jenny by her side, trying to copy her work or by herself. The times the couple came together to study with her, they most of the time disappeared after a few minutes, not to be seen again for at least an hour, but Rose didn't mind that much since those times she had her notes by herself.

One day when Rose was sitting alone in the library, writing on an essay in charms, someone sat down beside her and pulled the parchment away from her. This obviously caught her attention and she looked up and saw a grinning Paul leaning over the table.

"Give it back Paul." She wasn't in the mood after she had almost had to chase Christine away, since she wouldn't stop talk about Scorpius Malfoy. Christine had been very open to Rose, asking her if she thought Scorpius would look good naked, etc. Rose had no inerest whatsoever to discuss those topics and she suspected that Christine couldn't have the brain to realise that, as she kept going on and on.

"Rose, it's a Hogsmeade weekend this week, go with me." This was more like a statement than a question, which took Rose a little of guard, especially since her thoughts had been somewhere else, but then she found herself.

"I don't know…" She was interrupted by Paul who stood up, he's smile got even wider if that was possible.

"Well, let's say it's a date, then shall we. I'll see you Saturday, Rosie." He was gone before she could utter any other protests, and she even noticed that he was not as much walking normally, as he was actually strutting. Groaning she slumped down in her chair, but tensed when she heard someone snort from behind her.

"So, Weasley, now you must be really **_happy_**, going on a date with the **_famous_** Paul McLaggen. Tell me, how does that make you feel, really warms your heart, doesn't it?"

Her face heated up with anger and embarrassment, this was something that lately seemed to be a reoccurring thing, and always involving the one and only Malfoy.

He came out from behind one of the shelves, smirking down at her. Standing up she took two steps towards him, so that their faces were mere inches away from each other, she didn't notice the look of surprise, which flashed on his face but disappeared as fast as it had come and was replaced with an expression of indifference. This only served to infuriate her more.

"I am not happy about it, you **_insufferable git_**, if you were here the whole time you would know that." Her blue eyes were blazing as she poked him in the chest with her finger, she couldn't help but feel his muscles under the robes, but then she realised what she was doing. Blushing she backed away, not wanting to meet his gaze, afraid it would only be worse if she did. Quickly she grabbed her books and rushed out, towards the Slytherin free zone, the Gryffindor tower, not looking back at the slightly stunned Malfoy, who began to smirk back at her retreating figure as she stormed away.

* * *

What was she thinking of, she couldn't go around poking Malfoy, even if he wined her up like no one else. She wasn't the person who did things like that, who else argued like that. She felt her heart yelp when she thought of the women that did it, there was her mom, aunts and her cousin Vicky, and they did it during arguments with their husbands.

However this was different, this was just Scorpius Malfoy, and she didn't like him. It was just easy to get angry at him, nothing else; he just had an infuriating personality which brought out the worst in her sometimes.

She got into the common room and threw her things on one of the tables by the fire. It was almost empty, most students had lessons now, and the only ones inside the tower were a couple of first years, playing exploding snap.

She sat down in one of the chairs, swirling with her wand, lost in thought.

"What's wrong with me?" Saying this to no one in particular, she was surprised to see the parchment she had her wand over answer her.

_Mr Prongs wonders if this is a rhetorical question._

_Mr Padfoot wonders who this person is and how she's got hold of the map._

_Mr Wormtail agrees with the others._

_Mr Moony awaits an answer._

Can't Albus ever keep the map hidden? She thought, while she looked around to see if the first years were still consumed by their game, since she didn't need to make them think that she was out of her mind.

She knew all about the Marauders map, but she had never talked to it, she doubted that anyone of her cousins had done it, except for Teddy, who had told her about it.

"I'm Rose Weasley, Harry Potter's niece. I found the map just now, since my cousin isn't very discreet with it."

She waited and then the neatly writing came back.

_Mr Prongs accept the explanation and so does the others. He also wonders how Harry is._

_Mr Padfoot wants to know if it looks good for the quidditch team this year._

_Mr Wormtail can't come up with a question._

_Mr Moony wants to know how Teddy is doing and what Rose was referring to before._

Rose had never been sure of whom it was that you talked to when you talked to the map. She had asked Teddy what he thought, and he had said that it was possible that it was the marauders when they were young; they had put a spell on the map that would keep them like that forever.

"Harry is fine, and so is Teddy, he's become a father not so long ago, to a little girl. It seems like a good year for the team but maybe not for me. I don't think that I should go into that any deeper, girl trouble¤, you could say."

_Mr Prongs is happy about the news that Mr Moony's a grand father too, and that Harry's fine._

_Mr Padfoot wonders if Ms Weasley wants to talk to Mr Wormtail about her problem, since he might have experience._

_Mr Wormtail can't understand why he might know something about it._

_Mr Moony is glad to hear about Teddy and the girl, he wishes to hear more news soon._

Rose smiled at the words from Sirius Black, she thought that it would have been fun to actually meet him, but she suspected that life in Azkaban had changed him to another man than the one in the map.

"I should put this among Albus things now."

_The Marauders bid Rose good bye for now, and thank her for the information._

The younger students had started to look at her funny, so she quickly folded the parchment and put it safely in her pocket.

She smiled slightly to herself when she went up the stairs and hid the map in Albus half open trunk. The boys room was a mess, there were things thrown all over the place. Rose nearly stepped on a pair of underwear, and with a look of disgust on her face she closed the door.

* * *

The days flew past and then it was Saturday, the day when Rose was going with Paul to Hogsmeade. She had dreaded it, and tried to stay in bed, but Jenny and Christine had dragged her out. Both had set there mind on that Rose needed a boyfriend, and that boyfriend would be Paul McLaggen.

"Maybe she needs some make-up." Christine suggested while trying to brush Rose's red brownish, bushy hair. Even if it wasn't as much as her mother's, it still was very bushy and hard to manage without going crazy.

"No, he seems to like her as she is, but a little wouldn't hurt." Jenny studied her face, and took out a mirror for Rose to study her own appearance.

"You know, you don't need to do this." Rose said, but the other two just brushed it off.

"If you start to go out with Paul, Jenny has Albus and I get Scorpius, then we all can go on a group date or something." Christine squealed and looked dreamingly at the wall. Rose met Jenny's gaze and they both shrugged, but Rose had a bad feeling about Christine's plans. Going on a date was one thing, but with other couples too, and with Malfoy there. She wouldn't think so, that would surely be a real life nightmare.

Finally Christine and Jenny thought that their work was done, and they agreed that they all should go down to the great hall and get some breakfast, Rose who thought that she could almost pass as a muggle clown, told the other two to meet her there, that she just had to do something very important before she went down.

"Are you getting nervous, how sweet is that?" Christine hugged her and smiled. Rose made an attempt to do the same, but it became a grimace, so she quickly stopped herself before any of them noticed.

When the two girls had gone, she started to clean her face, and soon she looked like Rose again. She let her hair stay down though, since she felt a little guilty about removing all of the make-up.

* * *

When she got into the great hall, most of the students were finished eating, some of them were just chatting with each other or reading the prophet, everything was just calm, but Rose feared that this would change as she entered.

She was ready for an outburst from Christine, because of the make-up, but surprisingly it never came. Christine was turned towards the Slytherin table, trying to get Scorpius attention in vain. He barely looked up from his paper, and when he did it was only to answer some question that Lucy Goyle had asked him. Rose found this sort of amusing, Christine and Lucy trying to get the attention from the one person that wouldn't give it to them, and in between their useless attempts they sent each other threatening glares.

Suddenly she could feel two hands on her shoulders and heard Paul.

"Hello Rosie, looking good today." He bent down and, Rose assumed, smelled her hair. Feeling slightly uncomfortable she looked around the hall, meeting once again the gaze of Scorpius. He looked at her for a second, but then he swiftly turned around to talk to Lucy, who almost beamed from happiness over his sudden change.

Rose couldn't see what happened next since Paul had taken her by the hand and practically pulled her behind him out to the grounds. He is very eager; she thought while she had given up the struggle and was now walked beside him to the village.

"This is going to be great, Rose."

* * *

Girl trouble¤ - my old gymteacher said that you only needed to say that, and then no one would ask any questions about it, since every one would assume that it was that time of the month. Let's just say that the girls wasn't that honest with him... ,


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter seven**

_Scorpius POV_

Scorpius didn't really know why he felt like someone had dumped rocks inside of him. He didn't get it, why did he feel this way, just because Weasley were going on a date with that McLaggen. It was not like he had feelings for the girl, no. She was not the kind he had pictured himself with, but so was also all the other girls at Hogwarts, and he didn't care when they went on dates.

Trying to ignore it he had turned to Lucy, attempting to have a normal conversation, but as he suspected it was in vain. She started to jabber away about how hard it was to find good robes in Hogsmeade that wasn't to expensive, since her old ones looked bad on her, and green wasn't really her colour, it didn't bring out her eyes.

Not to show her his uninterested expression he turned towards Rose again, only to see her leave with McLaggen, her face telling him how much she didn't want to go. A surge ran through him, something inside him wanted to go after them, yell at McLaggen that she wasn't interested in him, but then another thought hit him. She could hardly be interested in him either. And Scorpius, what did he really feel about her, it was nothing, he told himself as he got up to go.

When he came to the door he noticed that he was followed, Lucy and the Gryffindor girl that seemed to hang around almost where ever he went, walked a couple of steps behind him, eyeing each other like rivals. Groaning inwardly he speeded up his pace, but they noted this and did the same. He wasn't in the mood for this, and since he knew that at least Lucy was going to Hogsmeade, with or without him, and the other girl wasn't a Slytherin, he nearly ran to the Slytherin common room.

To be on the safe side when he got in, he rushed to the boys bedroom and quickly closed the door behind him, glancing Lucy searching for him behind a couch. He heard her sigh in defeat and leave the common room, and he felt relief wash over him. Maybe now he could have the day to himself and his thoughts. But this wasn't the right place to do so, because just as he lay down on his bed the door swung open and in tumbled another Slytherin boy, entangled with a girl, and they fell right on the bed beside Scorpius.

"Do you mind?" Scorpius annoyed turned to them, but the only response he got was a not to friendly wave towards the door.

He banged the door extra hard and then left the common room, thinking that he could go to the library and do some homework, now that most of the people at Hogwarts were visiting Hogsmeade.

They had gotten an essay to write for professor Goldstein, who had got the job as teacher in History of Magic, but together with the old professor Binns. Professor Goldstein was hired by the headmistress since he could teach the students about newer events, which he was a small part of, since he was at the battle of Hogwarts and had more interesting methods of teaching.

He wanted each sixth year student who took his class to find information about at least one person that helped to bring Voldemort down.

As Scorpius walked to the library he thought about whom he could write this about, several students was nearly done, choosing obvious persons like Harry Potter, Ronald Weasley or Hermione Granger. But Scorpius wanted something extra, someone no one would think of.

When he got inside the room, he quietly walked to the back, where no one would come and disturb his train of thoughts. Then he started to look for books, and there was lots of them, he had to go two rounds to get some of them, but not close to all.

Opening the first one, a thick book that had been used by many, he scanned the pages. The same things that he always had heard, the same people.

As he turned the pages his mind started to wander off, off to a sunny smile, blue eyes and red brownish hair. Quickly he shook his head, clearing it out. Why did he keep doing that, he had to focus.

Soon he had every book open and spread out all over the desk he was sitting by, still he had not found something, his eyelids were getting heavier, he rested his head in the crook of his arm, feeling relaxed and letting himself get carried away to a place were there was peace.

_Rose POV_

Rose couldn't stand it another minute; Paul talked about anything and everything involving his father or himself. She felt like she was going to burst, something he didn't seem to notice.

"My father could have been the best keeper in Britain, or the world, but he wanted to spend time with the family, that's why he works at the department of Magical games and sports now." He looked proud over having such a great dad, who would sacrifice something like that for his family.

Rose was stunned, what sort of conversation was this, he just kept talking about how fantastic his dad was, and he didn't care if she listened. She had not said a word in the least ten minutes, since he had jabbered on so much.

This were going just as she thought it would, straight down. They had come to the Three Broomsticks now, and Rose felt that she would need a big bottle of fire whiskey if the date would continue in this manner.

They found a table in the middle of the room and then Paul went to buy the drinks. At the same moment he was gone among the crowed Rose heard her cousin Albus whisper in her ear.

"How's it going, his not coming on to you or anything, is he? Don't look around… I said don't look around! I'm under the cloak, Neville said that I couldn't come here this weekend, after that incident that we are not talking about anymore, don't laugh!" Rose had tried not to star laughing as Albus had reminded her about when he had tried to fight a Snargaluff with a jinx, which turned out to create green, sticky slime. This shot right out from the wand and hit several students before professor Longbottom could fix it. The slime had then hit Jenny in the face, Rose in the back of her head and Scorpius right in the chest, Charlie who was quicker than the others had taken cover under a desk and was laughing so hard that he could barely breathe.

"But what are you doing here then, alone?"

"Well, since you ask… Lily has extra quidditch training because of the upcoming game against Hufflepuff so I don't have to worry about her, and as you know, Hugo is on the team too…"

"Like anyone wouldn't know, he declared it the second day."

"Yes, don't interrupt. That leaves you on a date, and when your brother can't watch out for you, your dear cousin will."

"I swear, you are like dad, and your dad too."

"What don't you do for those you care about?" He smirked, and then he said in an even lower voice. "He's coming back, and you know it's only like an hour or two left, not that big of a deal."

She discretely punched him in the ribs with her elbow, but hadn't the time to do more damage, because of Paul's arrival.

"I bought you a sparkling water; you know it's straight from those mountains far away. Much better than butter beer or anything like that."

"But you have a butter beer." She looked at him, his smile didn't seem to fade by the statement, and he answered with a shrug, and then started to talk about quiddith this time.

Sighing she took the glass to her lips and drank her mountain water, which tasted exactly like regular water from a tap.

The time past slowly by and at last they started to head back to the castle. When they got to the door Paul took her in his arms and kissed her, then he told her that he would be waiting for her by the portrait, he just had to patrol the corridors and then see so that all students were back at the school.

As he hurried of Rose had to wipe her face with her sleeve. "God, his like an octopus." She really didn't want to meet him anymore that day; she had had enough Paul McLaggen so it would last her for at least the next weeks to come.

Deciding that the only place Paul would never set his foot in voluntary, the library was the best place; she spurted up the stairs and almost ran into miss Pince, who gave her a warning look.

Apologising she slowly walked along the shelves, into a darker section, where there only was one desk to sit by, and it was occupied.

Walking closer she could hear faint snoring and as she got up behind the apparently sleeping person she saw that it was Malfoy.

She had to admit that he looked kind of cute, his blond hair falling slightly down over his eyes. But she pushed that thought aside, wondering if she should wake him. Weighing the pros and cons she decided that maybe he would wake up soon, without her having to do anything.

Rose slowly took one of the books out of Scorpius grasp, wanting to know what he was reading, there was a page with her parents and uncle, waving at her and smiling. Smiling back at them she glanced at his notes, there was a list with names, almost all of them was partly erased, she realised that it was the assignment they had gotten from professor Goldstein, and also that Scorpius seemed to have trouble about picking someone to write about.

A sudden sound from Malfoy made her drop the book, and it fell right on her left foot, cursing out loud, she didn't think of the sleeping Scorpius beside her, he jumped up from the chair, yelling.

"Where the hell are they?!" He calmed down and noticed Rose standing on one leg, inspecting her foot, and then a screechy voice could be heard in the library.

"That is enough, you two watch your languish and get out of here! Students is trying to learn!" This was an exaggeration, since Rose and Scorpius were the only students there, but they both quickly got out from there.

"What were you doing, Weasley?"

"I don't know, hiding from…" More she couldn't say before they heard a blood freezing scream.


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter eight**

The scream was followed by angry voices, and since both Rose and Scorpius looked at each other, confused while they listen to the conversation.

"What have you done!?"

"I had to try the spell on something."

"Something, not someone!"

"We better go and check what's going on." Rose said, Scorpius agreed to the suggestion, and they began to walk in silence through the corridor, both occupied by their own thoughts.

Rose could tell that Scorpius looked like he had been shaked awake, she felt slightly guilty, knowing that she was responsible for his current state.

Scorpius on the other hand was more mad at hinself than Rose, sure she had been the one who woke him up, not in a very conventionell way, he might add. But the thing that bothered him was that he had just let himself fall into sleep, in a public place, and then talked in his sleep.

At least he had not said anything too humiliating, like "_**I love Pygmy puffs**_." saying that so Rose Weasley could hear, that would be a real life nightmare.

As they turned the corner they were meet by two arguing fourth years and a second years who lay on the floor, cold and seemingly lifeless.

Rose rushed over to the young student, while Scorpius went over to the other two, who was from Slytherin.

Before he turned to them he looked at Rose questioning, she lifted her head and said in a soft voice.

"She's breathing, but we must get her tothe hospitalwing."

He nodded and then with anger showing in his ice blue eyes he said to the two boys.

"So... are we having fun with the Hufflepuff student. Do you want it to be like it was twenty years ago, maybe have a dark lord who let you play with innocent muggle borns?" Rose had her eyes on him as he walked towards the younger boys, who took a step back, as the prefects for their house threathingly and slow talked to them in a silky tone. "And why not? You are more powerful than them, aren't you, Avery?" The Avery boy didn't say anything, Rose thought that he must have been the one who she and Scorpius had heard disagree, but then she noticed the other boy get a rebellious glimpse in he's dark eyes.

"But you are a Malfoy, you are better than mudbloods and bloodtraitors!" The boy nodded his head in Rose's direction and continued. "So what are you doing here with her, why aren't you with a pure blood?" Rose felt her cheeks burn and started to argue with the boy, but the corrdor was now starting to crowed as teachers and students came to see what the comotion was about.

Just as Scorpius felt like he was going to lose his patience, it was bad enough that two slytherins had attacked a hufflepuff, but then one of them had the nerve to insult both Rose and his own judgement, he could hear the distinct sound of the head boy.

"What is this?!" Scorpius slowly turned to face him, and tell him what had happen, even if he doubted McLaggens competens as a head boy, but he didn't get the chance since Rose opened her mouth first.

"We have to take this girl to madam Pomfrey so she can examine her."

"Yes, you are right, Rosie." Scorpius noted how Rose cringed at the nick name as it left McLaggens lips; he scowled silently, but stopped as the head boy turned towards him.

"So Malfoy…" McLaggen looked like he had straightened up and tried to gain authority by sounding important and putting Scorpius down. "These are students from your house, which you are responsible for. So were you in on this?"

Feeling his jaw drop he stared at McLaggen, how could he think that Scorpius would have anything to do with something like this. It was especially in times like this that made Scorpius think that he was defiantly born into the wrong family. People who always when they heard his last name assumed that he was a little miniature of his father or grandfather.

"I had absolutely nothing to do with this; Weasley and I just came here to check out what happen." He glanced at Rose and gave her a quick, confused look as he saw her shake her head and then as he said the last part, glare at him. Then he understood what she meant, because McLaggen now said in a cold voice to him.

"So, you are hanging around Rosie, you might be a smartass, quidditch player and prefect, but girls like Rose doesn't want to be around guys like you lot." He didn't wait for a response, he just picked the little girl up and called to Rose over his shoulder to come with him and leave the pack behind, meaning Scorpius since the other two had scattered away, thinking that they were out of harms way. But Rose only stood up, not moving an inch towards the head boy who had stopped and was now waiting impatiently, grimacing because of the extra weight he carried.

"Rosie, come on. She might look small, but she weighs like a hippogriff." He moaned, but Rose ignored it.

"You don't need me to walk with you, and you don't have the right to decide who I'm with. I could be best friends with Hagrid's half brother without you having any saying in it!"

McLaggen looked stunned and Scorpius had to hide his smirk, this was even better than anything that he could say, and Paul took it harder than if it had been Scorpius telling him off.

So, without another word McLaggen left to go to the hospital wing, mumbling about crazy girls and slytherins.

Rose felt relieved, she thought that after that, Paul would get it that she didn't want him in any way. Sighing she saw that Malfoy stood next to her, smiling and staring out in the direction Paul had disappeared and she felt the corners of her mouth lift as well.

"So, I'd better be going I think…" Rose said after a while, and this seemed to wake him up yet again, and a light blush crept up his neck, as he nodded, and they both went their different ways.

Rose suddenly felt that she wanted to go after him, just be near, but she shook it of as an impulse, after all, he was the one who had been there when she told McLaggen to sort of shove it. She could go and talk about it with Jenny or Lily, but they weren't there, so they wouldn't have anything to contribute about the subject.

Scorpius didn't know what to think or do, sure it was good to see McLaggen get crushed by Rose, but he felt insulted by the way the head boy had talked about him. Some people just couldn't get it into their thick skulls the fact that he wasn't like the others in his family. Thinking about them, murderers and thieves, death eaters, made him feel sick. Then mostly people in his house expected him to be like the rest of his relatives, cold blooded.

The anger that had filled him when the fourth year had talked to him earlier came back with new force, and then he was struck by a thought, Rose had been there, maybe she thought like all the others.

He felt like he was trapped and couldn't breathe, he had to get out. Rushing to the great doors he flung one of them open and stepped out in the chilly autumn air. Aimlessly he walked towards the lake and sat down under a tree, resting against the trunk. The anger slowly left him in despair, a hopelessness that wouldn't go away, even when he tried to reason with himself.

When Rose got into the common room she almost stepped on Albus and Jenny, who were building a card house, which exploded in their faces just as Rose had passed them. Snickering she sat down beside Hugo and Lily, who were talking about the up coming game.

"We should be able to win this quite easy, their keeper is new, and I heard that their captain almost had to bribe him to be on the team, since they don't have a keeper since Keaton left last year."

"Yeah, but we can't underestimate them, they have two good chasers and a seeker that isn't that bad."

Rose only listened to them half hearted, but then she caught herself tensing up when they started to talk about their next game.

"So Lils, what do you say about the Slytherin team this year, they are going to be a challenge."

"Mhm… They have the same as last year, so we know how they play, but then they have Malfoy."

Feeling her heart jump an extra beat at the mention of Scorpius name, Rose quickly said bye to them both and left, passing the portrait hole and through the doors, out on the grounds. A bit of fresh air will do me good, she thought as she walked by the big lake, seeing the huge squid waving it's tentacles in the sunlight. Absorbed by the sight she didn't notice Scorpius till she nearly tripped over his feet.

"Ops… sorry, I didn't see you there… What's the matter?" She wasn't going to try and make conversation, but his expression and something that she didn't know what it was made her. He looked up and met her gaze unwillingly.

"Nothing important, just a… family thing…" He had supposed that she would be sprinting of as fast as she could, she was a Weasley, and they surely didn't like Malfoy's.

"Is it about what that boy said?" She slumped down beside him, smiling gently when she did it. He could not bear to look into those blue eyes so he turned his head to the giant creature in the lake. Rose, who after an inner debate had decided to sit down, now started to regret it, like he was going to open up to her of all people he could talk to. But then she was wrong.

"I just thought that maybe… I don't belong anywhere; always there is someone who thinks I'm like my dad." Now he was glaring out at no one in particular, "I can't be related to anyone in my family." Smiling sarcastically at the squid he didn't think he was getting any response, so when Rose opened her mouth it took him by surprise, so he turned and faced her.

"Well you know, you are related to the Black's, and to Teddy's mom. They weren't bad; they fought bravely, and died in the fight for a better life. Those are some of the black sheep's in your family… and according to what you said to me now, I think that maybe you got more from them in you, than from you Malfoy side." Smiling encouraging to him she stood up and started to walk towards the castle again, a warmth spreading inside her chest, she stooped and called back to him.

"Maybe you should write about someone of them, that's not that common, you know for your essay."

He waved back at her, and as she walked she could feel a spring in her steps that wasn't there before.

Just as she pulled the door open she was met by McLaggen, who yet again wore the same infuriating smile.


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter nine**

"So where have you been Rosie?" Jealousy and suspicion clear in his voice, even if he didn't show it in his face. "I waited for you by the portrait, you never came, and then I asked you brother, he said that you just left."

Rose had to hide a smirk, knowing Hugo, he had said more, but apparently Paul didn't want to discuss that. She just said to him, trying to make him understand.

"Paul, stop this. I think that you are coming on _just a little bit too_ strong. Give me space, keep away." Hoping he would get it this time she started to walk away, he stood silent for a moment then called after her.

"Sure thing, babe. You come when you are ready!"

Not in the best arguing mood, she thought that this was as far as she could come at the moment, so waving sluggishly over her shoulder she kept walking.

Scorpius just sat against the tree, not wanting to move away an inch from where Rose had been seated a moment ago. Closing his eyes he thought about what she had been saying, then realising that she had looked through his notes he frowned. Why would she do that? Not like she would need any help with the assignment, she was too good at everything. But as he remembered all the times when she had been the top of the classes he remembered one time, in first year when they all had to learn how to fly a broom.

With his eyes closed he could see her terrified face looking down at the ground two feet above the ground.

Scorpius hadn't had any problems, more of the opposite, professor Wood almost had to fly up and get him. That was the one time that someone had outshine Rose Weasley, who the following couple of days hadn't been able to look at him. He was surprised and starteld when he heard an unnatural, high pitch voice in his left ear.

"Hello Scorpius, what are you smiling about?" Turning his head he came nose to nose with Lucy, looking even more like a pug than usual.

"Oh, nothing." He got up and started to walk, hoping that Lucy would get the hint, but she obliviously took it as an invitation to tag along.

"So Scorpius… what do you think about the weather, it is a bit chilly. Can I borrow your scarf? It is really cold out here."

"Well Lucy, as you so straightforwardly pointed out it is cold, that is why I wear my scarf, why don't you go and get yours." He wasn't going to let her have his scarf; it was a matter of principal and the fact that if he gave it to her maybe he would never get it back.

Grumping and moaning about how cold she was and wondering why they didn't go inside, to the common room, where it according to her was as empty as a dementors birthday party.

Thinking about an excuse for leaving, he remembered the two fourth years that had sneaked away before, and there wasn't a better time than now to go and try to catch some students and send them to the head mistress.

"You know Lucy, I really have to go, important… prefect business. I'll see you around…" Dashing off he caught a glimpse of her, almost smiling her head of, mimicking his last words like to memorize them.

That is extremely creepy when she does that, he thought as he came up to the doors and opened them, smashing one of them right in the face of McLaggen, who groaned and staggered back, complaining about the pain, or so Scorpius thought till McLaggen started to speak louder.

"Who do you think that you are, there is people in here, important people, who can't, unlike some others, look like an arses. It hurts too!"

"Well sorry, didn't see you there, standing right by the door, with your face." Scorpius pretended that he hadn't heard the insult, "I have to go and find the two slytherins…"

McLaggen held up a hand as to stop Scorpius and then said in a cold voice.

"That is taken care of, but you better have your eyes at them, or more than I are going to suspect what is obviously already there, Malfoy." He took a couple of steps closer to Scorpius and then continued, "Stop your charade, it's not fooling anyone, and quit hanging around Rose, this will be the last time I tell you that, she is mine, soon she will realise that. You can stick with you little fan club."

"Excuse me!? I think it was pretty clear that she didn't want you to meddle with her business, so stop it." As he said this through clenched teeth, he had taken a step towards the head boy and was now towering over him, frustration sparkling in his ice blue eyes.

However Paul didn't seem to notice as he glared at Scorpius.

"Well, we'll have to see about that, good luck at the quidditch game in three weeks." With that Paul left, leaving Scorpius in confusion, anger and more to think about.

He didn't want anymore distractions so he decided the best place was to sneak into the boys' dormitory and hope that no one was in there.

Lucky for him it was empty, so slumping down on the bed he put his hands under his head and started to ponder. What was it that McLaggen had implied with all the things he had said? Scorpius didn't like the way McLaggen talked about Rose, like something he owned, that was his to rule over.

Sure he knew that he wasn't the person who could do that either, but when he closed his eyes and just let his mind slip away, beyond his control, tired of it all, he could feel his mouth curve slightly as he saw a girl with a sunny smile beaming at him. Reaching out to touch her face, he suddenly found himself in a close meeting with the floor.

Groaning he pulled himself up, rubbing his sore nose, then he turned to the mirror to inspect the possible damage inflicted by the fall. It was the usual sights that meet him, all Malfoy with white blond hair and the icy eyes. But then maybe there was something to what Rose had said earlier, there couldn't just be Malfoy in him, some must be from Black for example, and sure there were old death eaters there too, but some had actually fought on the other side in the war, died for the ones they loved. Deciding that now it was quite oblivious that he should write about one of them in his essay he started immediately, now when he could feel the inspiration flow through him. He didn't know who he should pick, so instead he choose to write about them all, since there wasn't much of a record of them, with a death eater, an escaped criminal and a woman who married a werewolf. But with them it felt easier to find things in him that didn't repulse him, and maybe someday someone would see them too.

The days turned into weeks, Gryffindor won their match against Hufflepuff, even when Hugo at first seemed to freeze up in the middle of the air, hovering at his position as a keeper. He shook it of after Lily had flown past him and smacked him in the head with her hand, and then he had turned red as several people in the audience had cheered.

The big thing everyone was talking about now was how the Slytherin vs. Ravenclaw game would turn out. When Rose walked into the Great Hall the Friday before the game, she could hear the slytherins brag about their team that where going to beat Ravenclaw senseless. Rose who couldn't avoid being influenced by her family about quidditch knew that Slytherin didn't have that a good a team as many wanted others to believe, they had Malfoy, but after him the rest sometimes seemed to be less than average.

As she sat down the head girl, who she still couldn't remember the name of, told her that they were going to have an extra prefect meeting and patrols, because of the upcoming game, so at said time Rose appeared in the little classroom where the meeting were supposed to start. All were there except for Paul and Scorpius she noted as she opened the door, but just as she sat down the door went up again and in came Malfoy, but no McLaggen. Feeling relieved she relaxed in the chair only to tense again as Scorpius had decided to sit next to her. She had a hard time concentrating at what the head girl were telling them, sitting so close to Scorpius that if she just moved a mere inch she could have touched him. Thinking that she had to do something with her hands to keep them occupied so that she wouldn't fling them around him, or something equally stupid, she thought as she steadied her chin in her hands, all the time looking straight ahead. Completely ignorant that the same things passed in Scorpius's mind, as he sat there stiff as a stick.

The both of them were abruptly awakened from this when the head girl announced.

"Then it is settled, so Weasley and Malfoy, you'll take the patrol in the astronomy tower, we don't want the last year's incident to happen this year to. Now all of you go, I'll look for Paul."


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter ten**

Rose slowly got up and turned to Malfoy, who was still sitting in his chair, looking bewildered. This she immediately took as a sure sign that he didn't want to patrol with her, so in precaution, she braced herself to not let him get to her in any way.

"Shall we go then, so we get this over with?"

His eyes darted to her and he got up, mumbling that they probably should. Her tone had made his hopes sink even lower than they were before, why did this happen to him, he could not understand.

As they walked down the corridor, they were both quiet, not wanting to disturb the other.

Why does it have to be so hard, should I make small talk or something, Rose thought to herself while stealing a glance at the boy who walked beside her. He had his gaze locked at something straight ahead, but turned to her slightly as she cleared her throat.

"Hrm… so are you nervous?" At first all she got was confusion, so she elaborated, "The game, are you nervous?"

"… Not really, we'll have to see how it goes; the other team is pretty good."

Happy that the silence was over, Rose started to relax, which Scorpius noted. Maybe it wasn't going to be that bad after all.

"Your team is good, or at least that is what I've heard."

Scorpius couldn't help but smile at this, he knew that she knew more than she was letting on, but he could play along.

"Well, that could be an overstatement, but we can put up a fair game, or as fair as it can be." Rose smiled too at this, but not at what he said, she really liked that smile of his. They were now at the bottom of the stairs, when a mischievous grin spread in Scorpius's face.

"Why don't we go up there, instead of just guarding down here, we will still now if someone comes up."

"Sure… why not." Rose had never seen this side of him before, and it was a positive one. As they got up the stairs Rose looked up at the sky and Scorpius was surprised when she suddenly grasped his arm and pointed up at the stars.

"Look! There you are." Staring at her like she was mad, what was she talking about, he was standing right next to her. His confusion made her laugh, then she said in a soft voice, "It's Scorpius." He too looked up and as she pointed out the constellation he said in a low voice.

"Yes… there I am." She had let go of him now, and he felt a longing for her to touch him again, hold her in his arms, but he drove those thoughts away and instead sat down on one of the chairs. A moment later she joined him, still looking up at the stars.

Silence spread, but this time it was a comfortable silence, while both of them watched the skies above.

Rose didn't know for how long they had been sitting there, but suddenly she heard steps outside the room, and then a voice.

"Why did she let them go together, who knows what he will do?!" Realisation daunted over her, and she quickly turned to Scorpius who had anger written over his face, as he too recognized that it was Paul who was making his way up the stairs. Rose didn't want to talk with Paul, she thought that they had had enough of that for one day, and by Scorpius reaction, she felt like it was for the best if he stayed out of Paul's way too.

Scorpius felt a sudden tug on his robe and saw Rose's face only a couple of inches away from his own.

"Come on." She hissed and as if he was in a trance he followed her when she dragged him to a closet in the back. Opening the door swiftly and pushing him inside was not easy to do when it had to be quiet, and she barely managed to close the door behind them before Paul barged into the now empty classroom.

The closet didn't have much space, so they stood there pressed to each other. Scorpius had at first thought that the girl in front of him had lost her mind, why wouldn't she let him meet Paul, sure maybe it would be more physical than last time they talked, but Paul had it coming. All these thought however disappeared from his mind when he found himself in a tiny space and Rose against his chest. He could smell the faint scent of roses from her hair and he tried not to think about how close she was to him.

Rose was surprised that Scorpius didn't put up more of a fight about the whole thing, but as they stood there, listening to Paul cursing, she could feel how he started to relax. She thought it was weird, she hadn't expected this at the beginning of the year, but she couldn't deny that it was nice, hearing him breathing soothed her and soon she had almost forgot about the now very frustrated head boy outside. But that came to an abrupt halt as he by the sound of it had kicked one of the chairs flying and hitting a wall. This made Rose unwillingly jump and she was surprised when Scorpius arms quickly came around her, even he got a shocked expression by his movement, but he didn't take his arms away, since McLaggen was still in the room, even if he was about to leave.

"Fine, they must have left, well that is bloody great! Wait till McGonagall hears about this, he won't have a free weekend till the end of next damn year! Leaving when you have prefect duty…"

The persons in the closet slowly let out their breaths, Rose noticed how Scorpius had clenched his jaw and he had quickly let go of her. Disappointed by this she opened the door and got out, seeing as she had thought a chair lay on the floor by the wall.

"Maybe we should go." She said in a soft voice, not wanting to aggravate Scorpius more, he didn't say anything, just started to walk. Falling into he's determined pace Rose silently walked beside him, she couldn't understand why he got this upset, thinking he acted like this after the comment about McGonagall.

"You know, she won't give you detention, especially if I tell her that we were both there, and doing what we were supposed to. Sort of anyway." By this she thought that she could see a faint hint of a smile, but then it turned into a grim expression.

"It isn't about that, I don't care about Hogsmeade, I don't care if I so got detention so that I would have to stay here over Christmas. It's just the way he acts. Thinking he owns everything." She took in what it was he was saying, but couldn't quite figure it all out.

"Do you want to stay here for Christmas, what about your family?"

By this he let out a laugh with no happiness, keeping his eyes straight ahead to not meet her gaze.

"I would rather live here permanently than spend more time than needed at home. Hearing my grandfather's stories about what it was like before Voldemort's fall, and how thing's would be better if he had the power. My dad clinging to every word, then all of them telling me that I should act like a pure blood is supposed to act." Rose didn't know how to respond to this, she had always thought that family was something you needed, people who loved you no matter what you did. But for Scorpius it was different, he seemed to resent them, and she felt sorry for him. Her big family meant a lot to her, even if they sometime teased her about things, they could still read her like an open book, if something was wrong they would know right away just by looking at her.

Scorpius noted her slightly saddened face, and with a small reassuring smile he said to her in a softer voice.

"You know, it's not that bad staying here. It is Hogwarts, and it is nice here at Christmas, and much calmer than it is during school."

"Yes, but still. Don't you want to celebrate with those close to you?"

"I thought I told you, I don't have any." They had now reached the place were they had to go their separate ways, and Rose thought she saw a mixture of emotions in Scorpius usually expressionless eyes, there was relief, sorrow and something else, she didn't know what it was, but she felt a slight tingle in her stomach as she said good night and walked up the stairs.

Sighing deeply Scorpius started to walk down to the dungeons, he could feel himself being pulled towards the girl he just left, but things became more complicated all the time. And the fact that he told her things that he had never, ever told anyone else. It was like he had lost his sense for right and wrong, thinking about what had happen inside the closet when he had flung his arms around her. At the time it felt like it was natural thing to do, but afterwards he wasn't so sure about it. She was perfect, and what was he. Maybe there was some sort of truth in what McLaggen said about him. But it was also said girl that had defended him from himself, when he had had doubts the last time.

As he lay on his bed, fully dressed he remembered that he had a game the following day, he fell asleep, not bothering about changing his clothes.

When he woke up it was early, but since most of the girls that was after him seemed to care very much about their appearances he could have his breakfast in peace. So he sneaked out from the dormitory, carefully not to wake the other boys.

The great hall was nearly empty when he got there, and for once there were none who bothered him. He ate and then he got up to leave for the quiddith pitch. It was only when he came to the doors as someone addressed him, and he felt a bolt of joy when he recognized Rose's voice.

"Hi, I… err… just wanted to say good luck. So good… luck!" Her cheeks started to turn red, but he smiled at her, making them an even deeper shade.

"Thank you… so I'll see you around." With this they parted and Scorpius felt like he was walking on clouds the whole way to the chancing rooms, they were both unaware of Christine Finnegan who had just come down the stairs and she didn't look too happy about the exchange that she had just witnessed. An evil look spread across her usually pretty face as she went into the Great Hall after Rose, who she ignored as she passed by.

"So Rosie-Roo, what are you up to today?" Hugo practically threw himself down beside her and attacked the food in front of him. She wrinkled her nose in disgust over he brother's eating habits before she answered.

"Well I am ahead of my homework, so I thought that maybe I could do something else but study for a change."

"And whot cod that… be?" He said at the same time as he chewed and swallowed.

"I don't know; maybe watch the quidditch game, perhaps."

This got Hugo's attention since it was rare occasions when Rose suggested that she would go to a game, but he was happy, maybe his sister was coming around to his way of thinking.

"Then you can come with me and Al, watch those Slytherin lose. It would be fun! Al is already down there, getting us proper seats."

"Sure, I come. Let me just finish eating this, since I don't inhale food."

"Hahaha, very funny, but come on now, Rosie!"

The whole way down to the pitch Rose heard her brother talk about all the player's that were going to play, the weather and how this was going to affect the out coming, etc.

When they got there Hugo spotted Al and dragged her down to one of the front rows, were they took a seat next to their now confused cousin, who wasn't suspecting Rose to come. But he bought her rather lame explanation and then turned to Hugo to continue to talk about the game.

After a while the teams came out and the crowed started to cheer. The captain's shook hands, both glaring at each other as Professor Wood told them to get on their brooms. Now Rose felt an urge that she hadn't felt before when she had watched a game, she discreetly cheered when Malfoy scored or did something good, but to not let the two boys beside her suspicious, she tried to cheer extra when the other team did something good too. At first Hugo and Albus just stared at her like she had gone mad, but then they realised that they were there to watch quidditch and that they would do.

Scorpius had felt a bust of energy like he always did when he got on a broom, and even in his high speed he could see her sitting there with her relatives shouting. He smiled as he saw her expression when he had fooled Ravenclaw's keeper and then scored. Her beaming face warmed him up inside and made him want more.

It was a tough game, and even if Ravenclaw caught the snitch, Slytherin won. Scorpius was filled with happiness as he stepped onto the ground, but he didn't get the greeting he expected. Just as he hit the ground a person, a girl, almost knocked him over as she flung her arms around him and kissed him passionately. In the corner of his eye he saw another girl swiftly disappear among the crowed that had gathered to celebrate, he pushed the clinging girl away and saw that it was the Gryffindor girl, who used to follow him, but he didn't have time to say anything, he had to get to Rose. Pushing his way through all the people was hard since they all wanted to congratulate him, it took longer than he thought, and she would be long gone before he got to the castle, but he had to find her.

When he finally had broke free he ran to the castle and entered, not sure of where he should go. Then it struck him, it was Rose, and she loved the library, which was where he could find her. Rushing up the stairs with noting else in mind than finding her, he got into the library. Only to be met by the sight of Rose kissing Paul.

He didn't even know how quick she must have been, or how lucky Paul must have been. The happiness was now gone, and it was replaced by anger and jealousy.

Slowly he walked out, thinking to himself that two could play this game.

**A/N:** Well this was the most I've written in a chapter, they seem to get more in each one. I would like to know what you think about it so there is only on thing to do, review ; )


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter eleven**

Rose had felt numb when she had seen the two of them on the quidditch pitch. She didn't now why she cared as much as she did, she only felt like she'd been stabbed with a knife. Sure, it was like a bomb ready to go off, all the girls that were after Malfoy, but he had never seemed to be interested in them. Maybe she just flattered herself with thinking that there was something between them, Christine obliviously had something that Rose didn't posses.

She had turned around when she saw the kiss, not wanting to see more, she kept her pace up and got into the castle. Inside she had seen Paul, and acted on pure impulse, if Scorpius had a girlfriend, then she could have a boyfriend, and in that case why not Paul. That would make Scorpius think. She had walked up to Paul and in her most flirtatious voice suggested that they would go to the library alone, and then he was hooked.

Just as soon as they came in there he had been all over her, his lips felt like a slug and she had wished that it would be Scorpius's arms around her, and then she had seen him walk in. The look on Scorpius face made her insides twist. He had swiftly left and without thinking she said to Paul that she would be right back. She left him confused, but didn't care about that.

Rose caught up with Scorpius in the corridor outside and she had to step in front of him to make him stop. He did that, but kept his gaze just above her head to not meet hers.

"Scorpius, look at me."

"Why?" The question took her off guard, she didn't know what to answer, but he continued, "Go back to you boyfriend, he will be worried if you spend anymore time with a Malfoy."

"Well, what do your girlfriend say if you are here, and not off snogging with her?"

"Wouldn't you like to know, Weasley." He took a step to the side, trying to move pass her, but she didn't let him.

"You stubborn prat!"

"I could say the same thing about you, but I don't have time for this now." He felt like he had to get away from her, so he did the only thing he could think of to get her to move, he took a firm grip around her shoulders and lifted her so she wasn't in the way anymore.

"Fine, leave. I don't care. Go to your girlfriend, I have Paul!"

Her words stung him as he pretended not to hear her. But if it was this way she wanted it, then he would play along.

Finding Christine wasn't hard, and when he got to her he whispered in her ear.

"What do you say about finish what we started before?" He didn't have time to react as her arms flung around his neck, almost like she was trying to strangle him, and her lips were firmly planted on his. He staggered back to the wall were she resolutely pinned him against it, all this time not removing her mouth from his.

This wasn't what he wanted, but a small part of him thought that this must get to Rose, he couldn't know that similar thoughts flew through her mind as she went back to Paul and aggressively dragged him with her, and when they came to the Great Hall she kissed him square on the mouth for everyone to see.

Rose's mind was too clouded for her to think straight, but she didn't care. Scorpius could have Christine, and know everyone would know that she had McLaggen. Maybe not the person she had as a first choice, but it was easier this way, she already knew that he liked her. All she had to do was move along with that.

When she had broken free from the public kiss, she was faced with an angry Hugo, who took her by the arm and gritted.

"What are you doing, have you lost your bloody mind?"

"Watch your languish Hugo, and no." Now Albus had come to join his cousin, his face was red with what looked like embarrassment for his relatives' behaviour.

"Why don't you go and finish this somewhere else, that meaning where it's less than thirty people close by."

Rose glared at them both and before she turned to walk away, she told them in a cold voice.

"There is nothing to talk about; I'm with McLaggen, end of story." She left the three boys, one beaming after her, the other two with shock written all over their stunned faces.

As Rose then got up the stairs she noticed something or someone pressed against the wall, then she realised that there were two, and seeing the white blond hair, she knew that it was Scorpius. She could feel her anger rise yet again, with a snort she brushed pass them, noticing that he looked at her with surprise, and what she thought to be guilt, but she shook it of, all she wanted now was to be alone, and the only place where she could find privacy seemed to be in her own bed with the curtains closed.

Scorpius wasn't sure if he was fighting against Christine or if he was starting to bend, when he heard a snort, close to a growl, looking up he locked eyes with Rose who by the looks of it was furious. His mind went almost numb and it was like his insides had been hexed with sectum sempra. For a moment he didn't know what he was doing, but then it came back to him, but after seeing Rose's face, he didn't want to continue. It wasn't easy to get Christine to realise him, it was harder than he had imagine, but after a while she let him go, with the promise that she would be waiting for him.

But his guilty feeling somewhat turned when he passed the Great Hall and could hear a buzz of excited voices. He didn't feel like he needed to hear what it was about, but Lucy Goyle had spotted him and now raced across the room to tell him the news.

"Scorpius… You missed one of the best shows I've ever seen… That Weasley scum snogged the hideous head boy senseless, right here!" Scorpius stared at her blankly, before he could feel the rage built up, he didn't know what it was that made him most angry, the things Lucy had said or how she said it, but frankly he didn't care. He saw Lucy's lips move but her voice only became a murmur in his ears, until he felt like he was going to snap.

"Will you just shut up, Goyle!"

He had left before he could see how all the inhabitants in the room reacted, but as he entered the common room, he thought that shouting at her wasn't going to help with anything, even if it let some of the steam off from the main thing that infuriated him.

So Rose can go and snogg with who ever she wants, but he couldn't. There were going to be a change to that.

Albus and Hugo just sat and stared at the Slytherin girl, who looked like she was at the brim to tears. They had after being shouted at by Rose decided that it was for the best if they stayed in the Great Hall for a while, to let her calm down if they wanted to stay alive long enough to graduate Hogwarts.

"I think we made the right choice Al, with staying here I mean."

"Yeah, that was… unexpected"

Malfoy's reaction to what his fellow Slytherin had told him had made the both Gryffindor boys jump and almost fall of the bench were they were seated.

"Everyone is acting really strange today."

"Who are acting strange, Al?" It was Lily who had just entered the room, ignorant to what had happened just minuets earlier. They filled her in on the events, and she agreed with them that it didn't seem like the normal behaviour for either Rose or Malfoy.

"So Lils, what do you think it is?" The girl got a thoughtful expression, and then she said jokingly to the others.

"Maybe they are _in love_."

They laughed, but deep down they all thought that that could be a reason for what had just accord in front of them. Silence came and they looked at Lucy Goyle who still stared at the spot were Malfoy had been.

"Someone should bring her back to life…" Lily looked at the others and smirked as they paled, then she continued, "… and I should find Rosie, since I'm the one that didn't made her want to tear this place apart."

"Good luck."

"Break a leg."

With that she left the room and after checking the map, which she had taken from Albus, she walked straight to the Gryffindor girls' dormitory.

Rose heard someone come into the room and decided to act like she wasn't there, but then she heard Lily's voice.

"I know that you are there Rosie, the marauders have told me."

Smiling slightly at this she opened the curtains a little.

"What do you want Lils?"

"Thought that maybe you wanted to talk about your new boyfriend." Lily sat down on the bed and smiled at her cousin, hoping that would make her talk.

"There is nothing to talk about."

"That's not what I've heard, seems like your _tiny_ public display, affected more people than you thought." Lily smirked at Rose, when the other girl straightened up and looked at her questionably.

"What do you mean by that?"

"Well not only are all the students talking about you and McLaggen, but also Malfoy who apparently became very angry at Goyle after he heard about it and screamed at her, then left her standing there." Lily waited for a reaction, but when she didn't get any she said, "Do you know why he would do that, Rosie?" This caused at least something she thought when she saw fury flash in her cousin's eyes.

"No, why would I know. Ask Christine, she might."

It happen so quickly that Lily wasn't sure how she ended up sitting on the floor with the bed's curtain right in front of her face. And just as she got up and dusted the invisible dust from her butt, Christine Finnegan barged in; a smile covered her pretty face.

"I just have to tell some one!" Lily could hear something from Rose's bed that sounded like some of her Uncle Ron's worst curses. But then her attention got to the other girl who had flung herself over her bed and was talking franticly.

"He is the world's best kisser, and he is the most considerate boy in school, not like any of the others. I love the way he smells. And he is good at quidditch, but that doesn't say anything about his good looks. When he landed to day, I just had to kiss him, and after that he couldn't get enough of me."

Lily was confused, who was it that Christine was talking about, and it obviously had something to do with Rose's bad temper.

"Eh… who are you talking about?"

This abruptly stopped any more words to come out from the girl; she sat up and stared at Lily like she was some kind of an idiot.

"It's Scorpius Malfoy, who did you think, silly?"

"Oh, I don't know, but now that you say it…" Lily went to the door to leave, but when she reached for it, she felt a hand on her shoulder and a pale Rose who whispered in her ear so that Christine wouldn't overhear.

"Do not leave me alone with her. I'm coming with you." The two cousins quickly left the now beaming Christine, who dreamingly stared out the window.

"Rosie, what's going on, tell me." They were now sitting in the library, hidden behind a group of bookshelves. Lily eyed Rose closely, like she was trying to read her mind.

"I honestly don't know Lils, it has gotten out of control. All of it." Seeing Rose so depressed made Lily feel like a piece was missing, Rose usually was the happy, put together one in the family, the one that kept all the others in order.

"Then we take it one step at a time, first, are you together with McLaggen?" Rose cringed, now she would have to seriously put this in words.

"Yes, I am." Lily looked a little taken a back by this, but then she continued.

"Second, how does Malfoy fit in to all of this?" Now Rose really didn't know the answer, and she didn't want to admit to anything, at least not yet.

"That is the part I don't know." She sighed and rested her fore head on her hands.

"Ok, so we will figure it out, sooner or later." Lily told her reassuringly and patted her on the back. But Rose wasn't so sure about that, everything had become so complicated. "We are going home for Christmas; it will be good for you to get some distance to all of this."

* * *

But even if Rose wanted it all to stop, she couldn't do it. Every time she saw Malfoy together with Christine, she would go and find Paul in an act of trying to make Scorpius suffer like she did. What she didn't get into her head, and neither did Scorpius, was that they were thinking and doing the same thing, and that sealed the evil circle they together had created.

Sometimes this would make their friends sit in an uncomfortable silence, while they were busy making the other jealous, and soon their friends were starting to count down the days till they could get away from the situation they unwillingly had been put in.

The day for Rose to go home couldn't come soon enough; the thought would flicker in both hers and Scorpius's minds more than once during the last days, they were both getting tired of keeping the act up for the other. Before long Paul and Christine would want to take it all a step further, something Rose and Scorpius never had planned to do.

Scorpius had been forced by Christine to come and see her off at Hogsmeade, and as he stood there, listening to her jabber on and on, Rose caught his eye. Their gazes locked immediately, then Paul bent down to kiss her on the cheek, but as Scorpius noted she turned her head so instead his lips would hit hers. Jealousy boiled in him as he saw this, he wouldn't be worse, so he kissed Christine, who immediately stopped talking. All this time he and Rose didn't avert their gaze's. In response to his kiss, she had forcefully pulled McLaggen towards her, with her arms around his neck, she glared at Scorpius when he made Christine giggle which made him glare back at her.

Lily and Avery were standing in between the two couples, trying to small talk about what ever came into their minds, both persistently looking at each other, pretending like they didn't notice their friends' behaviour. But when they didn't come up with anything else to say, they felt that now was the time to try and break the intimacy the two couples had.

When Lily and Rose later were on the train, searching for Hugo and Albus were they both red in the face, but from totally different reasons. Rose because the lack of oxygen while kissing Paul, and Lily from the embarrassment of standing beside and then have a slightly odd good bye shared with Avery. It had felt strange to just walk away from him she reasoned, since they had spent some time together before the holiday.

They found the boys in an empty compartment playing a game of wizard's chess, so for the rest of the ride they played and laughed, making Rose almost forgot about what had happen the past month.


	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter twelve**

Scorpius felt the waves of jealousy and frustration as he and Avery walked back to the castle. Avery who was done with the embarrassing silence opened his mouth.

"So Scorp, I won't say that that wasn't quite a show you put on to day. You almost fooled me and Potter. Almost."

"What do you mean with that, Avery?" Scorpius snapped at his friend, worried about what he was going to answer. Avery sighed and looked at his best friend sympathetically.

"Scorpius, Potter and I have noticed the certain way you and her cousin acts around each other, and now it's beginning to be awkward for not only you two."

"Well, it is nothing I can do about it." Angrily he raised his pace, feeling a need to be alone, he didn't reflect on the fact that Avery smiled smugly and kept his distance.

As he came back to the castle he noticed that the Christmas decorations were already up and he could smell the food from the Great Hall, but he just kept going to where ever his feet were taking him.

When he finally stopped he was by the stairs leading up to the astronomy tower, he felt a mixture of emotions as he walked up the stair two steps at a time, not considering if this was a good idea or not.

The room was as he suspected empty, just like it had been then, but this time he couldn't see the stars. Groaning he fell back into one of the chairs, the one were he had been seated the night he and Rose had been on patrol. Smiling a sad smile he looked at the chair beside him, it looked so empty now. The thought of the chair welcomed other memories, like how it felt to hold Rose Weasley in his arms, the smell of rose's in her hair and how her face lit up when she smiled at him. But that would never happen again, they had both seen to that. A sense of being alone came over him, making his heart sink and he clenched his hands into fists.

Rose felt that she had had enough talk about her behaviour the last month when for almost the hundredth time her relatives asked her about it. She got up, took her bag and went to find an empty compartment where she wouldn't have to think about her own actions or Scorpius's. But the silence was deeply disturbed when the door slid open and Christine barged in.

"Finally someone to talk to!" Rose stared at her, trying really hard not to make it a glare, as Christine sat down opposite her. "I've been looking everywhere for someone to talk with. But they are all off with their boyfriends and god knows what, then I saw you, not with McLaggen, and I thought, I can talk with Rose."

"Aha, you did that. I see…"

"And you know how you miss someone when they are not around. God, that kiss before I left, it was like he wanted me to stay, but didn't know how to tell me, it was so much passion! He took my breath away, seriously. I think that he has just been waiting for me all along, I made him want to live, you can say."

Rose couldn't make herself look at the person in front of her. How she rambled on about it, why didn't she just kill Rose and have it over with. This was like torture, one on one.

"When I told him that he means a great deal to me, he didn't say much, but I knew that he feel the same way as I, you know, he might even consider that he loves me. I can tell that sort of thing, it's like a gift I have, even though it felt like a curse when he was to shy to show his true feelings for me. That wait was insufferable, I didn't think he was going to come around to see it from my point," she sighed and looked out the window like in a absent-minded state, "but then I thought that I could make the first move. That caught him immediately; did you do that with Paul McLaggen?" Rose, who had tried to tune her voice out, was startled by the direct question, but then she found herself.

"You can say that I did it, yes." Her snappy tone went undetected, since Christine had started up with her monolog again.

Rose practically ran of the train and in to the arms of her grandmother, who she didn't know were going to be waiting just by the train for her grand children to come out.

She could see her parents over grandma Weasley's shoulder, they were both smiling at her, till her father decided to come to the rescue before her ribs was crushed.

"Hey there, Rosie-Roo." Her dad squeezed her shoulders while he beamed down at her, "So how was school?" Rose shrugged, which made her mom study her with a concerned expression.

"Did something happen Rose?" Feeling her cheeks heat up, she became very grateful when Lily, Albus and Hugo walked off the train, they didn't notice the waiting family as they still were deep inside their conversation.

"Lily, it is nothing to worry about, everything will be ok."

"Yeah Lils, give it time, so what if you have had embarrassing moments, we are sure that several people feel the same way. Take us or Avery for example."

"What are you three talking about?" Ginny Potter looked at them with stern eyes, and the rest looked at the spectacle with amusement.

"Oh, you want to know that…" Albus stuttered, seeing Rose shake her head, and then glare at him threatening.

"Lily… blew up a toilet. That is what we talked about."

"You were talking about the embarrassment of blowing up a toilet and that you two and Avery have done it as well?" Harry Potter looked at his son and nephew doubtfully, while they tried really hard to keep their faces serious.

"Yes, dad, I just thought that it would be embarrassing to tell you, but now that it's over, I can see that Al and Hugo were right." A sudden laugh was heard, and they all turned to Rose's dad who laughed so hard that he barely managed to stand upright.

The made up story had lightened up the mood, and in the car no one noticed how Rose quietly looked out the window, resting her forehead against the cool glass.

When they came home, the house was regular sized with two storeys. The garden was bigger in the back where you could sit out in the summer and, something her dad was very happy about, was practically gnome free.

Rose's room was on the top storey and it was here she rushed when she got into the house. She could hear her mother's worried tone when she asked her little brother if he knew why Rose was in a hurry to get away from them.

"That… that is because she… didn't feel well on the train. Probably a cold." Then she heard her dad trying to change the subject.

"So Hugo, how is it going in the tournament, which house is in the lead?"

"We have won all our games, and so has barely Slytherin. It's surprising, really, how bad Malfoy has played lately…"

Rose didn't want to listen anymore; she too knew that the last Slytherin game had they barely managed to win. Their seeker had caught the snitch right under the nose of the opposite team's. She remembered the game right before her problems had started, Scorpius's proud and smiling face when he had scored, she had been so happy for him. She had never felt this bad before, it was like she was drowning the pressure on her lungs and heart made her mind dizzy. Her bed squeaked when she sat down on it, but it was a familiar sound that was never going to change, unlike things that was out of her control.

The days quickly passed and soon it was Christmas day which the family were going to celebrate at the Burrow. There was no turning back as she walked up to the door with her dad's arm around her shoulder, like he knew that she rather stayed in her warm bed and was set out to make sure that she didn't take off if the opportunity came along.

The Burrow was filled with people who happily greeted them; Hugo quickly disappeared with Albus and James, Lily was talking with Victoire about her new job at the Prophet. Rose carefully sneaked into the living room and found an unoccupied armchair in a corner where she heavily slumped down and closed her eyes. She noticed that someone stood in front of her, hearing a slight cooing and a cough, so she slightly opened her one of her eyes. Then she saw that it was Teddy, holding a little girl with bright pink hair, and she couldn't help but smile, a smile which he gladly returned.

"Rosie, I was wondering if you could hold Isabelle, they needed my help in the kitchen." By the sound of the crashes it sounded like they would need a lot more than that.

"Yes, of course, look how sweet she is." He held the baby out to her, and she carefully received the tiny person. Beaming at his daughter Teddy left when he heard a loud bang and curses coming out from the room, leaving Rose alone with the infant.

Rose looked at Isabelle as her little relative slowly changed her eyes from gold brown to clear blue, like Rose's own.

"You have it good Isabelle, no worries, other than which colour you want your hair to be." She said in a low voice, rocking the baby slightly from side to side. "Yes, you are going to be fine. You don't know it yet, but you are growing up around the best people there is." She could then hear her parents start one of their famous shouting matches, and her uncle Harry who quickly escaped out to the living room. "Ok, maybe you are happier when you are ignorant to it all." She smiled at Isabelle who had sneezed and at the same time chanced the pink hair to light blue.

Harry came over to the cuddling pair and ruffled the baby's hair smiling down at her.

"Remus and Tonks would be so proud." He mumbled to himself before turning to Rose, hesitating and then clearing his throat. "Rose, how are you? You seemed a little… well… off at King's Cross." When she looked up at him she saw a concerned flicker in his expression.

"Oh, it's nothing, really, regular school things." She could tell that he wasn't pleased with her answer, but he didn't push it any further, except for saying.

"You know, I was there in your parents sixth year, so if you think it looks dark for you now, it surely can't be compared with them. I think it can be safe to tell you that everything is going to work out." Just then he noticed his wife waving at him to come and help to break up the quarrel between Rose's parents, who by the sound of it were arguing about the best way to arrange the chairs at the table. So once again Rose was left with the little child, who waved with her tiny hands in the air.

"Well, sweetie, what do you say about it, do you think my future can be like that someday?" As she suspected the response she got was a low gurgling noise and a faint pop of a bubble, which Isabelle had found more amusing to blow up than listen to her older relative. "Yeah, I'd say you are perfectly right, I really am deep in to this. Luckily for me I have you to take care of me when I become an old spinster." She nuzzled her face to the baby who laughed with glee.

Scorpius had during the holiday had a talk with Professor Goldstein, who wondered what had happen the past month, since his results were sinking drastically. The professor had talked about the essay they had written in the beginning, about Voldemort's fall, and that that essay was one of the best Scorpius had written. Goldstein wanted to know what had chanced, but Scorpius told him that he didn't know, even if he deep down knew exactly what it was. The inspiration for the assignment had come from Rose, and she was gone from him now. She had been wrong that time he thought, he was a Malfoy and nothing could change that, but with her it didn't have to matter.

He had by some unknown reason promised to meet Christine at Hogsmeade, but he thought that the thing that actually made him stand there in the rain, waiting to be strangled by his so called girlfriend, was in fact to at least get a glimpse of Rose with no McLaggen round her neck. Even thou she probably had been with McLaggen the whole train ride, and then would get off it with him, but he just wanted to see her smile, a genuine smile. The water was beginning to reach his skin, and he shivered in the wind, couldn't the damn train come soon, he thought while staring through the rain in search after it.

When it finally arrived he was really wet, and he didn't feel like bumping around in the crowd that formed when everyone was getting off. Instead he waited by a door where no one seemed to come out of, stupid that they all want to go out at the same place, but then right in front of him some one peeked out from the opening, some one with red brow, bushy hair.

As soon as Rose stepped on the Hogwarts Express she had seen Paul try to make his way towards her, probably hopping to snogg the whole way back, not exactly what Rose had planned on doing. She quickly told her relatives that she wanted to be alone to catch up on some reading, but as they too had noticed Paul, they understood her reasons. She pretended that she hadn't seen him or hear him as he called her name. Then she slipped into one of the compartments in the front were usually no one would go to, especially now when the train wasn't full. A couple of times she had to hide on the floor when Paul or Christine passed, she didn't want the last trip on the train to be repeated.

Her attempt to concentrate was in vain, her mind went off on its own, thinking about the mess she had put herself in, and the fact that it was over Malfoy made her smile miserably. If she closed her eyes and relaxed she could almost feel his arms around her, how soothing it was to have his heart beat so close to hers.

The train was slowing down now, and she didn't want to break the peace she had put herself in, so reluctantly she slid the door open and slowly walked down the corridor, all the time watching out for Paul. Thinking that she should get off the train from one of the openings in the front, she peeked out to check if the coast was clear. She could see McLaggen by one of the most crowded exits, he wouldn't notice her, and if he asked she could say that it was obvious that he could not spot her in the crowd.

She stepped out and then she heard a voice, just behind her.

"Why are you here?" She wiped around and saw a soaking wet Scorpius; she noticed how he tried really hard not to show how cold he really was in the wind.

"I don't want to get into the crowed." She told him after studying his appearance, "Why are you here yourself? You must be freezing."

Scorpius noted the concern in her voice, which warmed him, but not physically.

"Don't want to get into the crowed." He smiled faintly down at her, "And for the freezing part, I'm ok." He saw the disbelief reflect on her face and then she pulled out her wand telling him to hold out his hand, he hesitated.

"Come on, I don't have all day, hold out your hand." It was like electricity stung her when she grabbed his hand and said her mother's very useful spell to conjure blue flames.

The shock in his eyes made her laugh, "See, was that so bad, now you won't be so cold."

"Thanks." Scorpius looked down on the ground, and then a call got his attention.

"Rosie! Is that you, I can't see through this bloody rain!" With that Rose quickly disappeared from his side and left him alone, cold and soaking with a hand full of flames.


	13. Chapter 13

**Chapter thirteen**

Rose didn't know what to do when she heard Paul's voice over the chatter around her, but she didn't want to stay and wait for him either. The way it was between her and Malfoy had changed back and forth rapidly the whole year, and a flutter of faint hope had once again conquered her heart. She wouldn't let McLaggen put out that tiny spark, even if that meant that she had to sneak up to the castle.

The flames in Scorpius hand helped a bit, he wasn't shivering as much as he did before, but he was still soaking wet. Looking thoughtfully at the flames he wasn't sure of his emotions, he had never thought that she was going to talk to him in a civil tone ever again, let alone take his hand in hers, if only for a moment.

"Darling, there you are, I've been looking everywhere for you! The ride was horrible; they were all out of chocolate frogs. And I almost had to share a compartment with a first year." He stared at her, who was this really and why was he with her, he thought. Christine didn't care that he had been standing outside in the rain and were now drenched in icy cold water, the only thing that warmed him slightly was the fire he had received from Rose, and Rose was the one who supposedly hated his guts. The girl in front of him had now changed into a spoiled-childlike expression, and he wondered just how low he had sunken.

He started to pace back to the castle, she could try to keep up, but he didn't care, but soon he felt that the cold had made him weaker. Christine was now beside him, clinging onto his arm, complaining that it had taken so long to get to Hogsmeade, and then when he looked away he felt how she moved his arm suddenly, making him drop the blue flames which she then stepped on, and making it look like an accident.

"Oops, sorry sweetie, but isn't it better if I warm you up, I know a more… effective way." She smirked up at him; he didn't want to be near her. Now he was starting to realise it all. The whole problem was her. It was Christine that rushed out on the pitch; she had kept the tension between him and Rose alive; even fed it sometimes; and now this. He wasn't going to let her do it anymore.

"Christine, let go off me. Now!" He said threateningly through his clenched teeth, angry and trying to prevent them to show how cold he was, the wind was getting stronger by the second. She looked shocked.

"But Scorpius, why?" Still with her firm grip round his wrist now, but he pulled her hand off of him.

"You know why, and you have known it all along, so don't play stupid with me."

Anger filled her eyes now, and then she screamed at him with full force.

"Fine, have it your way! But know this; you will never get any better than me!"

"Well, look how much I care about that." Christine had had enough; stalking away she disappeared in the rain towards Hogwarts.

Scorpius was beginning to feel short of breath, he was walking as fast as he could but it was hard for him. His body felt stiff as he fought his way against the biting weather.

When he finally reached it he was met by the sight of Rose and McLaggen, standing close together, their faces mere inches apart. He didn't give them a second glance, it hurt him more than he was willing to show but he just past them quickly, not bothering about the shivering anymore. He just wanted to get to the common room and the open fire.

Paul had reached her as she had opened the doors to school, and then he had said that he wanted to talk to her. She had hesitantly agreed, and when they got inside he had pulled her against him, kissing her down the neck and on the mouth. It wasn't what she wanted so she had told him to stop. Smirking he had rested his fore head on hers.

"Is it Malfoy you are thinking about? I saw that it was him you talked to."

"So what if I talked to him?"

"He is a Malfoy, a Malfoy Rosie. We are different sorts, you can say that he is a death eater and you and I aren't."

Rose felt the fury rise, but then she heard the door open and Christine came in, red in the face and mumbling to herself.

"Stupid git, no one will want him more than I do, he will see that…" Paul was taken aback by the interruption, but then found himself again, only this time Rose wasn't listening, she was waiting for Scorpius to come though the doors, and she had to wait before a pale and weak looking Scorpius came, shivering with his eyes set to a spot somewhere in the distance.

A flood of worry came over her, and McLaggen noticed.

"See, if that isn't a death eater, then what is?"

Now Rose couldn't take it anymore, she wheezed into McLaggen's ear.

"You are more a death eater than he is, and you wouldn't recognise one even if he bit you in the butt." She left him standing their, stunned by her words.

When she got to the common room she went over to Lily and Hugo, who were discussing the next game, two days from now. It was Slytherin against Gryffindor, and as always there was more tension in the air than before the other games. This could be fatal in the out come of the whole tournament.

"I know that Malfoy hasn't played like the good player that he is, but you can't underestimate him Hugo."

"I know that Lils, but he has seemed unfocused for a long time now. What can change?" Lily scoffed at him and then saw Rose.

"Hey Rosie, where did you go, and why didn't we see you in Hogsmeade?" Rose took the seat next to her younger brother and sighed.

"I wanted to be alone, so I was in the front of the train and then I exited there too." She shrugged and pulled Hugo's essay to her and started to correct it in lack of other things to do while Hugo seemed to struggle between being worried about his sister or happy that she for once checked his essay without him having to ask.

The next day was the day before the game and everyone in the Great Hall was talking about it. Rose had just sat down and stretched to get some of the eggs when the plate was snatched from her in an aggressive manner. Christine had been hostile towards her the whole evening and morning, Rose didn't understand what it was about, but her attention left the subject when she noticed Scorpius. He was paler than he had been the day before and he looked like he had to muster all his strength just to eat. She felt the concern well up again, but she wasn't sure what to do, he seemed callous towards everyone who tried to talk to him, and he sternly met her gaze when she studied him from afar. Then he just got up and left, half staggering as he past the Gryffindor table, that's when Rose decided that she couldn't just watch him when he was obviously sick.

Scorpius had woken up in the morning feeling worse than he had done before. Not only was he ill but the image of Rose and McLaggen seemed to have glued itself on his eyelids, every time he closed his eyes he saw them standing there, face to face, talking in low voices.

Breakfast didn't lighting his mood, all the students who wanted to discuss quidditch with him or simply tell him that he didn't look so good. He could also feel the penetrating stare from Rose, but he tried to shrug it of, she wasn't staring at him, or she was because she wanted to see how bad he was feeling. His energy drained fast, and soon he realised that he couldn't stay here or he could pass out, he got up and on wobbly legs he left the Hall.

"Scorpius, wait up!" He slowly turned, his body was aching from the lack of energy, and soon he thought that he wouldn't be able to stand upright. Rose had come up to him by now, anxiousness clearly visible, but he had to focus just to have attention on who it was who talked to him. "You need to get to the hospital wing, let me help you." His tired mind didn't work like it was supposed to; instead it filled with suspicion and paranoia, why would she do something like that to him. Surely it would be like yesterday, when he later would find her in the arms of McLaggen, and he wasn't up for that.

"Listen Weasley, it's nothing wrong. I'm just tired, and tomorrow I will be back to being my bloody peachy self again, happy?!" Rose just stared at him, stunned. What was up with him, a lump was forming in her throat, but she ignored it.

"You are unwell; you can't play tomorrow, unless you go to the damn hospital wing."

"Well, I don't need to."

"Why do you have to be like this, you stubborn… insufferable twit?"

"Maybe I want to, have you thought about that Weasley?" With that they both started to stalk away, but when Rose turned she saw how Scorpius had to hold on to the wall with one hand while he attempted to steady himself walk. Without a word she was back at his side, taking his arm over his shoulder and started to lead him to the Slytherin common room. They both glared forward and didn't say a word to the other and when they got to the opening, Rose just let go of him and left.

The day past by slowly, Rose only had two lessons, Herbology and Potions. In Potions she had ignored Scorpius most of the time, but when he coughed her eyes had darted to him, scanning if he was ok. He had treated her the same way, giving all his forced attention to the assignment in front of him, and then when it ended he was gone. The rest of the time she sat by the fire in the common room, reading about the great war, giving sad smiles to those she knew who it was, as they laughed and waved at her.

She looked at a picture of the marauders; or three of them when the book was snatched from her and Christine said in a high pitched voice for every one to hear.

"So Rose, reading and smiling at escaped convicts and werewolves, well, you have never been normal. Always with your head in books."

"Give. It. Back." She had ever since she was a little child looked up to Sirius Black and Remus Lupin, and she never wanted to hear anyone speak badly about them. They were among the bravest people she knew, together with her parents and close family.

"Make me." Christine smirked holding the book towards the fire, Rose noticed the picture of the Marauders, if it had been of other people they had probably left the frame when it got this exposed to the fire, but instead they stayed and smiled encouraging at her, Black even gave her thumbs up. Christine had no time to react before Rose had drawn her wand and calmly said.

"Petrificus Totalus." The book fell to the floor as Christine stiffened and then fell forward, Rose stepped over her to claim what was hers, and then she said just as calmly as before, "Don't do or say that ever again." With that she slowly started to walk towards her bed, as she left she opened the book to the page with the picture and was met by a cheering trio.

Scorpius knew that he should go to the hospital wing, but he thought that he had lost enough pride for the day having Rose help him back to the common room. He wasn't going to be over thrown by this, and tomorrow he would show her, if she came to the game, that he was fine.

But when the morning came he still felt a throbbing head ache and his body was heavier, this wasn't going to stop him thou. When he got into the Great Hall he noticed how Rose at first looked up at him, and then glared down at her plate, why did she care what he did, she shouldn't do it. He forced down some food, and by now Rose was glaring directly at him, he made an effort to respond, but it was more like a grimace.

Finishing his food, he then left to change and when he later got out on the pitch he was almost overwhelmed by the amount of students that was going to watch, but then he thought that it was always like this, only it felt more now.

Rose had trouble deciding if she should go or not, but then she got talked into it by Albus who didn't want to go alone, since Jenny had resented the idea of watching a quiditch game when it was cloudy and cold. It was actually the weather that had weight the most for Rose to go, the worry about Scorpius was bigger than the fact that she was mad at him for not going to Madame Pomfrey.

She and Albus got seats in the front row, just like the last time, and as the players kicked off, she could see Scorpius sway a little on his broom, but he then got control when he caught the quaffle and headed towards Hugo by the hoops. It was close that he scored but Hugo caught it in the last second.

The came went on, and Rose's worry grew as she saw how Scorpius speed slowed down more and more, then it came.

Scorpius was feeling his concentration on the game was beginning to fade, then seemingly out of no where he was hit by a bludger right in the chest. He started to fall of the broom, and everything around him seemed to go into slow-motion. Looking up he saw Rose's face, evident fear lightning up her face and he thought that he could hear her scream. He couldn't understand what she was afraid of, he wanted to, but couldn't. Then it all went black before him.


	14. Chapter 14

**Chapter**** fourteen**

Rose screamed when Scorpius was hit and started to fall, Albus tried to hold her back but she leaned over the railing, to not miss anything. He closed his eyes right before he were going to hit the ground, professor Wood, who was following the two seekers who was chasing the snitch, didn't notice what happened behind him. Instead Professor Longbottom managed to break the fall somewhat, Rose hadn't time to just stand above and watch. She rushed away from a surprised Albus, swiftly ran down the stairs. All she cared about was getting to Scorpius, to yell at him, scream that he was a twit, why did he have to do this?

A group had formed around him as professor Wood was checking him over, the slytherins glared at the Gryffindor beater, who was pale and studied the unconscious Malfoy anxious.

When Rose came out on the pitch Lily ran over to her, eyeing her carefully.

"Rosie, maybe you..."

"Lily, I have to." Saying that she didn't slow down, Lily almost had to run beside her to keep up.

Rose came up to the place where Scorpius had landed, she saw his pale face over the professors shoulder and gasped, he was white as a sheet, unmoving. Hugo came to her and put his arm around her, keeping quiet but he had a look of sympathy in his eyes. She didn't notice when professor Longbottom and Hagrid had showed up, but they started to act, Hagrid scooped up Scorpius in his arms and professor Longbottom made sure that the way was clear.

Rose was glad that she could hold on to Hugo, she was afraid that if he wasn't there to hold onto her, her legs wouldn't be able to carry her, fright had a strong grip around her. He squeezed her reassuringly.

"Rosie, do you want to go to the common room, and rest." She shook her head, not thinking that she was able to talk, "Shall I help you to the hospital wing?" At this question she gave him a grateful look and they started to walk up to the castle, Lily and Albus were talking in hushed voices and waiting for them.

"How are you feeling, Rosie?" Rose couldn't understand this, why were they worried about her; she wasn't the one who was unconscious and hurt. She just stared at her cousin till Albus looked away, clearly uncomfortable.

"She's in shock I think." Hugo looked at Lily, unsure of what to do, "I said that I would take her to the hospital wing, we're going there now." Then he whispered to Lily, so that Rose wouldn't hear.

"Can you write to mom about this, she should know." Lily nodded and then dragged Albus away with her towards the owlery, and Hugo helped Rose to the hospital wing.

When they got out side, she turned to her brother.

"You can go now, I'll be ok." She tried to smile at him, but it just became a grimace and he reluctantly let go off her.

"Come and talk to me if you need to." Then he left her to stare at the door.

Rose was scared to go inside; she didn't know what was waiting in there. The door opened up and professor Longbottom and Hagrid came out, still talking to Madame Pomfrey.

"Will he be alright?"

"We'll have to see, he has a concussion and his fever is rising. I'm not sure if I should mix the potions that heal those things, and what will happen if I do, it can make it all worse."

Rose paled by hearing this, the others hadn't noticed her till she had let out the breath she didn't know she was holding.

"Miss Weasley, what are you doing out here?" The professor had a kind expression, she had known him since she was little, he was a friend of her parents.

"I... wanted to..."

"Well I think that Miss Weasley heard us before, so if you excuse me, I have a patient to look after." Madam Pomfrey closed the door, and left the others standing there. Rose felt their concerned gazes on her.

"I'm ok." Was all she was able to say, feeling her face warm up, and as she touched her cheek, she also noticed that it was wet. Now she understood their concerned, she was crying without even knowing it.

"You can go into him, Rose, even if he's not conscious." Professor Longbottom smiled at her, and she could feel Hagrid's large hand on her back. She walked into the room, searching which bed Scorpius was in. When she detected him, she slowly started to walk; he was in the bed which was seated the longest distance from the door.

She just stood there, watching him; he laid perfectly still, sweat glistening on his face. Not knowing for how long she was standing there, but she was interrupted by Christine who screamed at her. She jumped at the sound, and wiped around.

"What are you doing here with my boyfriend?!" Christine took a threateningly step forward, and all the emotions Rose had tried to have control over bubbled up in the form of anger.

"He is not your boyfriend, and as for you and me, stay away from me, or I will hex you far worse than yesterday! He wouldn't even be here if it weren't for you!"

"He is my boyfriend, and why do you care Weasley, you hate him!" Rose had completely shut off inside, she raised her fit to strike the other girl, just as her father had taught her, but her mother said that she should never do so. Then she heard a faint whisper from Scorpius bed.

"Rose... Rose..." She was in an instant at his side, clutching his warm hand in his, hoping that he was awake, but he was still gone. The tears burned her eyes, as she saw him start to toss and turn.

The jealousy dripped from the words that came out of Christine's mouth.

"Like that could bring him back, it's me he wants."

"Bite me, Finnegan!" Rose didn't avert her gaze from Scorpius face, but she heard the snort and Christine's angry footsteps towards the door.

"Rose... where are you!" She felt hopelessness when she heard him call for her, the panic in his voice. Clutching his hand she tried to make him hear her in some way.

"Scorpius, I'm right here."

* * *

He found himself in one of the halls at Hogwarts, but it was empty. There weren't the usual noises from all the other students, he was all alone. Fright crept on and it was like a cold pressure around his heart, he had to find Rose. He ran down the corridor, still not meeting anyone, even the paintings were empty.

Calling out for her in hope to get an answer, but he just heard the echo from his own voice.

"Rose! Where are you?!" The panic inside him rose for every second, then he heard a faint sound, like her, but she was to far away for him to hear. He ran with all his might, reaching the great hall, as he entered he saw them. His family and some others, they had their backs turned at him. He hesitated, but then one of them started to laugh and turned to face him. Staggering back he locked eyes with Bellatrix Lestrange, his father's dead aunt. The rest also turned around and he saw how they held out their right arms to him, the dark mark showing.

"Little Scorpius, what are you afraid of, you are just like us." Bellatrix came towards him, smiling like she was crazy, "The dark lord would have liked you. You have many talents."

"No. Stay away from me!"

* * *

Rose could only watch as Scorpius struggled with something, hearing how he talked to someone.

"No... stay... away from me..." She stroked his burning fore head with her free hand, while she had his hand in her other.

"Sh, everything will be alright." Suddenly he became still, but his breathing was forced and he grasped her hand, "Why couldn't you listen to me, you know I was right." The tears had stopped falling now, she was exhausted but she didn't care, but it seemed like Madame Pomfrey did.

"Miss Weasley, I'll ask you to leave, Mr Malfoy needs his rest." Rose started to protest, he wouldn't get more rest with her somewhere else, why couldn't she stay, but she was pushed out and the door slammed in her face.

She wasn't going to let it go, so she hurried up to the common room to find Albus. He was sitting at one of the tables, reading something.

"Al, can I borrow the cloak?" Startled he looked up at her, thinking that she could see the parchment, but then he nodded.

"It's in my trunk, why do you need it?" But she didn't answer, just rushed up and then when she got the cloak she was out again.

* * *

Scorpius stared at his dead relative as she tried to get his arm out, holding her wand to it.

"Scorpius, it won't hurt... much!" She had his arm in a firm, tight grip now, nut then there was a flash and three more people showed up, all pointing their wands at Bellatrix.

"A family reunion, why wasn't we told about it? You know Bella, just because you killed two of us, doesn't mean that we are not family." Sirius Black smirked as his cousin stared at him.

"You traitors, I'm not related to any of you!"

"Only by blood, dear cousin." Regulus Black smirked just like his older brother, "Now, if you would be so kind as to get off the boy."

"And what if I don't." Scorpius could clearly see the resentment in her eyes towards the three people, they just laughed.

"Well, auntie, then you forces us to be a little more violent than necessary, don't you."

"And that says the one that married a werewolf."

"Don't bring Moony into this, Bella." Sirius growled, having taken a step forward, having his wand by Bellatrix throat. She smiled, but it faded when Sirius took a step back again and addressed the others. "Together?"

"I'd say that is for the best." Regulus had stopped smirking and was now glaring at his cousin.

"Yeah, let's do that." Tonk's hair had changed from pink to black as they all raised their wands and Bellatrix was his by a purple light, causing her to disappear.

Scorpius stared at the spot were she had been just a moment ago, but then he noticed the hand in front of him, slowly he reached for it and was meet by Nymphadora Lupin's smiling face.

"Wotcher, Scorpius." He looked around and saw that he was alone with them, his living family who had just stood there was gone. Sirius came over to them and put an arm around his shoulder.

"It's good to know that at least one of my living relatives is like us. So Scorpius, how's life as a Malfoy, not worse than being a Black I hope." He smiled at his brother who had snorted at his remark.

"I manage, I guess…"

"You'll be fine. You have your best friend, and a girl who likes you very much." Regulus said in a serious voice, but smiled when he saw his young relatives pained expression. "I don't mean that Finnegan girl." Scorpius looked at him confused, but he just snickered.

"You'll find out soon enough." Tonk's nudged him and then she asked if he could do her a favour. "Could you tell Ted that Remus and I are very proud of him and that we love him." He agreed and then it all turned into darkness.

* * *

Rose carefully pushed the door open, not to wake madam Pomfrey, who had gone to bed. The room was dark, but she knew how to get where she wanted to be.

She sat down in the chair by Scorpius's bedside, taking his hand in hers once again. His breath was still uneven, but he seemed calmer. She removed the cloak, and then just sat there.

"You stubborn twit, why can't you wake up? Is it so hard?" She felt the tears roll down her cheeks, "Look what you are making me do." She wiped the tears with her robe, smiling at how silly she must look right now.

Sitting there for a long time, she didn't know for how long, but soon her eyelids became heavy and she didn't fight the sleep anymore, as long as she had Scorpius in close reach.

Scorpius slowly opened his eyes, it was night and he noted that he was in the hospital wing. His head hurt and there was a strange pressure on his chest. He lifted his head a little to see what it was, and then he involuntary hold his breath. Seeing Rose sleeping, her head on her arms, which she had over him. He didn't want to wake her, but the movement before had made her open her eyes. For a second she gazed at him sleepily, but them he found himself with her arms around his neck, she was almost on top of him. When she heard him groan under her, she quickly let go off him, like he had burned her.

"Sorry." She looked down at the floor, but then she felt his arm drag her back to him.

"Don't be, I'm fine." She pulled away from him a bit, now glaring.

"Don't you ever do that to me again, I don't want to see you like this." Her tears started to flow, but her sobs were muted by Scorpius's shoulder, since he had embraced her, and was now holding onto her with all his might.

"I don't want to see you like this either, so shall we call it even?" He whispered in her hair, and he knew that she smiled.


	15. Chapter 15

**Chapter fifteen**

Rose stretched out her arms, instantly feeling someone's face under her fingers. She then noticed that she was resting her head on someone's chest. Remembering the day before she smiled, it was nice to be this close to Scorpius, and she realised just how much she had wanted this all along. Now she was perfectly at ease, now when she didn't need to worry as much about him, but then it hit her that she wasn't supposed to be here, what if madam Pomfrey walked into check on Scorpius.

She carefully removed his arm from her waist; just get his other arm around her when he turned.

"Scorpius..." She whispered in his ear, he smiled ruefully, "Scorpius, I have to go." He opened his eyes slightly and met her gaze. At first he looked shocked, but then he found himself.

"Oh... sure." Rose slipped off the bed, and then turned to him, hesitantly.

"So...?" He saw her cheeks turn red, and that made him smile at her, something that seemed to give her some courage, "I'll come by later."

"That would be good."

"I'll bring you your homework." She started to laugh at his expression; he had looked like she just suggested that they could take a midnight stroll in the Forbidden Forest.

She still laughed to herself as she pulled the cloak around her and walked through the door.

Scorpius fell content back on the pillows, watching the door open and close. He was happier than he had been in a long time.

When Rose walked in at breakfast she was attacked by three worried relatives.

"Rose, where were you?"

"It's not good for you to be like you were yesterday."

"We have been worried about you."

She watched their faces, and smiled at them reassuringly.

"I'm alright, everything is fine." The food in front of her tasted like it never done before, it was both better and worse. She missed the sight of Scorpius sitting at the opposite table, but she also knew that she could go to the hospital wing any time.

When she was done she walked to herbology together with Albus, who kept quiet, obviously thinking that she would break down once again. But she didn't mind that, since her thoughts constantly wandered away to Scorpius.

As Scorpius lay in bed he thought about the previous night, he felt happiness swell in his chest, he wanted her back with him, but she was Rose, and she would not miss a minute of time when she had to study. He remembered waking up and seeing her there, sleeping with her head on his chest. Then when she had just lain beside him, snuggled up to his side, he had wanted nothing else. He had understood what his dead relatives had meant, but he couldn't figure out what had happened inside of his head. How did they know those things, and he barely knew what they looked like, he had never heard their voices, but it had at the same time felt so real.

He remembered the promise he had given to Nymphadora Lupin that he would talk to her son but he would never listen to him, he was a Malfoy. Scorpius had never met Ted Lupin in person, just heard about him, since he had been head boy, and when his grandfather sometimes talked about how lucky he was himself, that at least Lucius wasn't related to the son of a half blood and a werewolf.

Scorpius had never really seen what the fuss was about, Ted seemed perfectly nice, maybe not so talkative, but neither was Scorpius.

He fell back into sleep with dreams of a certain girl, who, when he later once again woke up, was sitting on the side of his bed, smiling at him.

"You look sweet when you sleep." She reached out to brush his hair away from his eyes, but she found herself pulled to him in a tight embrace.

"I have always thought that I was very manly when I'm not awake." He smirked when she looked up at him, a smugly smile playing on her lips.

"Is that so?" Rose kissed him on the cheek, then relaxed and rested her head on his shoulder, soothed by the sound of his breathing. "What did you dream about yesterday?" Asking the question carefully, she could feel him tense up a bit. Scorpius sighed and he got a distance in his eyes, like he was reliving something.

"I was alone at Hogwarts first, and I was searching for you." Rose felt a slight blush creeping up, but she didn't say anything. "Then I came to the Great Hall, and my family was there, even those who died. Bellatrix Lestrange attacked me; I think she was trying to make me a death eater by giving me the mark." She could feel him shiver at the thought, and without thinking she nuzzled up closer to him. "But then the Black brothers came and Nymphadora Lupin and they blasted her off of me." Scorpius eyes were sparkling at the thought, and Rose smiled, but then he got a clouded expression, she sensed that he was concerned about something.

"Scorpius, what's wrong?" It seemed like he had forgotten that she was there, because he quickly turned his head towards her, almost shocked, but then it disappeared.

"I promised… mrs. Lupin… that I would give a message from her and her husband to her son, but I can't see how that's going to happen."

"Is it only that?" There was a hint of disbelief in Rose's voice, "I can fix that."

"But he wouldn't want to talk to me."

"This is Teddy; I have known him my whole life. He would be happy to hear what you have to say." She then looked him seriously in the eye, like she was trying to make him see her point by drilling it into his head. "Besides, you are his only living relative that doesn't despise him, or do you?"

"Of course not, I don't even know him."

"Well, then here's your chance. I can ask him to come to Hogsmeade, next time it is a Hogsmeade weekend. We can go together."

"You mean like a date?" Scorpius had gotten his smirk back, and was now amused to see her stutter.¨

"If… you-you want… to." Her face was now a deep shade of red; he laughed and kissed her on the mouth briefly.

"Yes, I would like that."

"Good." She had gotten her confident back, and she pulled his face close to hers again, feeling his breath tingle on her skin she kissed him, and it didn't take long before he responded to it, deepening the kiss. Rose mind clouded over and she forgot everything except Scorpius and the fact that she had never felt this alive.

She almost lay on top of him when madam Pomfrey pulled the curtain away; abut to give Scorpius his medication.

"Oh, dear Merlin, Miss Weasley, I had expected better behaviour from you. I only hope that there will be no bird attacks…" She put down the bottle as Rose hurriedly slipped off Scorpius, they were both blushing furiously. "I think it's fair to say that visiting time is over, Mr Malfoy needs his rest." Rose was confused about the comment about the birds, attacking someone with birds, who would do that. She waved at Scorpius before she walked out in the empty corridor, where she broke down in a giggle fit. That was the most embarrassing thing she had been through. Her face still burned, and she saw Scorpius's face for her inner sight, he had had some sort of shocked expression when she had kissed him, but when Pomfrey had walked in he had froze.

When she had collected herself enough, she went to the owlery to write and ask Teddy about the Hogsmeade weekend. She wasn't sure about what to write, but since Teddy was one of the persons she was the most opened to she decided to tell him about most of it.

_Teddy,_

_I was wondering if you could meet me and Scorpius Malfoy (no, I'm not kidding) at the Three Broomsticks the next Hogsmeade weekend. It would be nice to see you, and Malfoy needs to talk to you about something._

_Write back as soon as possible,_

_Rosie_

_PS I hope that every one is fine, and give Isabelle a hug from me._

She send the letter with the owl she shared with Hugo, it was a medium sized, brown one which they called Lav-Lav. It was their mother's suggestion, since the owl had been all over their father when they got into the shop. He had at first been upset when the bird didn't listen to the other names they had tried, but then it seemed like he found it ironic for some unknown reason to Rose and Hugo. She was just leaving when she noticed Albus owl fly in, carrying a letter, she thought that she might as well take it and give it to him now, so she reached for it and noticed her mother's neatly hand writing. She eyed the letter curiously, then something in the back of her mind fluttered and she vaguely remembered the day before as she had leaned on Hugo and he had said something to Lily, he must have told her to write to their mother. Why else would she write to Lily and Albus, and not to Hugo or Rose?

Knowing her mother it would not be the smartest thing for her to try and open the letter, since it probably had a spell cast up on it, so that only Lily could read it.

She walked back to the common room where she found Albus, apparently waiting for Jenny since he had a very impatient look on his face, and he didn't notice Rose till she was in front of him, waving the letter under his nose.

"Al, what did you write to mom?" He quickly turned his attention to the parchment in his cousin's hand.

"Did you read it?" His voice was soft as he eyed her cautiously.

"No, it is mom, I'm sure she has done something to it." Annoyance was starting to build up, what had they told her mother, and had Hermione then told Rose's dad, because then she could expect a howler at any minute now. "What did you write, Albus?"

"We wrote... that you were acting strange after one of the quidditch players had fallen of his broom. That you didn't leave his side, and that we were worried about your reaction."

Rose was stunned, she had thought that they would rat her out when they saw how she became after Scorpius fell, she had underestimated them all. They had only been worried about her, and they had the right to be.

"Oh, thanks Al." She hugged him, but then she held out the letter once again. "Can't you open it, and then let me read what she says?"

Albus slowly reached for the letter, and then opened it at an arm's length, like it was a bomb ready to go off. Nothing happened and so he gave it back to Rose with a questioning glance when she looked at what her mother had wrote.

_Lily and Albus,_

_I'm sure that everything will be alright with Rose. But it sounds like someone fancy a quidditch player, I'm glad for her. I haven't talked with your uncle yet, since it would be best to wait till Rosie tells us herself. I can promise that I will try to prepare him for what ever happens._

_I know that madam Pomfrey is an excellent healer, so the boy will soon be back on his feet, an Rose will be like usually, until then all I can say is that maybe she will need time alone, and in that case, just let her be. Tell Hugo that. And Lily, keep an eye on the boys, you know what I mean._

_Love,_

_Aunt Hermione_

Rose felt relived as she finished reading, but then she thought that her mother could change her mind when she found out that the boy actually was a Malfoy, she knew that her father would have a fit, whoever it was that would take his little Rosie away. But a Malfoy to them, made a big difference, even if they didn't have fights in public, or anywhere for that matter, they would not be thrilled by the idea that Rose fancied Scorpius.

"You can give this to Lily now..." She handed him the letter, then turned away to walk out of the room, dark thoughts about her future weighing heavy on her shoulders. Nothing would be easy; she just had to face that.

She silently pushed open the door to the hospital wing, all she wanted was to see Scorpius smile, to erase all the other things swimming in her head.

Scorpius sat up as soon as he saw Rose, but the blank look in her eyes made him feel uneasy. She sat down on the bed, staring at him before she flung her arms around his neck and buried her face in his shirt.

"Rose, what's going on?" He stroke her hair, afraid of the answer, maybe she had thought things through and didn't want anything to do with him.

"I don't know what's going to happen... and that scares me." Her voice was muffled, but he heard every word. Pulling her closer to him he said in a soft tone.

"We will have to see how things go... but I want- you to be happy." He almost cringed at the last part, since what he meant with it was that if she didn't want him, he would understand. His shudder hadn't gone unnoticed like he had hoped; Rose had lifted her face so that she could see his expression properly.

"I'm happy now; I haven't been that for the last months." They both saw a glimpse of guilt in the other, but they didn't say anything about it, instead Rose took his face in her hands, and he felt like she could see right through him with those blue eyes of hers. "You make me whole, and if there is people who doesn't understand how much you mean to me, then they don't know anything." It was like she tried to print it into his head, and at the same time it was like she had realised the answer to the unspoken questions she had thought about.

Scorpius didn't say anything at first, which made Rose feel an anxiety bubbling in her stomach, but then he smiled at her mischievously, and before she knew it he had pulled her down on him and as he whispered in her ear she could feel the anticipation rise.

"So, where were we before we got interrupted?"


	16. Chapter 16

**Chapter sixteen**

Soon Scorpius got to leave the hospital wing, but as he said to Rose as they were studying in the library.

"If she hadn't let me go today, I swear, I would have burst through the door." Rose snickered but didn't look up from her book. "You know what Rose?"

"Hmm… no." Scorpius smirked and leaned over the table so that their faces were mere inches away from each other. Noticing how the light was slightly illuminated, she turned up her gaze and was meet by ice blue eyes, staring into hers and sparkling with something she quite couldn't put her finger on. Her mind had gone blank and the world around her had disappeared, but she couldn't care less.

"You look really beautiful." He whispered this, so that only she was able to hear, and his smirk grew wider as she began to turn red. She saw how his face slowly came towards her and she thought that it wasn't moving fast enough, Scorpius sudden surprise at how she determined pulled him close to her, but then he was all in on it.

They were completely giving into the moment, and Rose had managed without really knowing how it had happen, got to sit in Scorpius lap. This was just heaven she thought as she felt him kiss her down the neck.

* * *

"Wow, they are really going at it." Lily stared in almost shock at her older cousin, then turned to Avery who was mirroring her expression.

"Yeah, how can they go from basically wanting to rip each other in pieces to wanting to… eat each other, in lack of a better words?"

"I guess that I've won the bet then, Avery." Lily had now started to smile smugly at her fellow student, who groaned.

"You said February fifteenth, and it's still January."

"Well, you said it wouldn't happen until the beginning of April, so I win." She nudged him in the side and then said in a mocking threateningly voice. "Give me the money, or I will…"

"Or you will what?" He smirked down at her, waiting for an answer. "Come on, give me the best you got there, Potter."

"Or I will tell all the girls that you sleep with a stuffed unicorn."

"I don't think that they would believe you." She then raised her eyebrows, and said in a low voice.

"Is it really something that you would want to find out?"

"You don't dare."

"Oh, yes dear Slytherin, I do dare."

She then turned around to leave the library, and as she came through the doors she heard him swear and then the sounds of steps behind her indicated that he was going for the sure thing.

"Ok, Potter. I'll get the money. Just wait in the Great Hall."

She laughed when she saw him stomp of to the dungeons, she had found it really fun to talk to him, and once in a while tease him, since most of the boys in Gryffindor either were a relative or extremely boring for her taste, he was a nice change.

* * *

"What do you mean ´Mione? Rose is my little girl, she doesn't have a boyfriend, or anything like that." Ron stared at his wife like she just gone insane, like he was hoping that he wouldn't have to permit her to Saint Mungos.

"Ronald, Rosie is sixteen years old. And even if you haven't realised it, but the boys in her age will start to see her as a woman. I swear, this is like our fourth year all over again."

"And what is that supposed to mean, Hermione."

"Well, Ronald, everyone grows up and make their own decisions. Let Rose do that too."

"In that case, who is her fling?" They were both glaring at each other, but Ron saw a flicker of insecurity showing in his wife's brown eyes.

"I… don't know." A wave of relief came over him; he still had his little girl. She wouldn't do anything stupid, like date someone. No, not Rosie, maybe someone like Lily, but not his Rose.

Hermione who had seen the look on her husband's face as she had answered his question, groaned with annoyance.

"You know Ronald, some day Rose will walk through that door" She pointed at their front door while she frowned at him, "with a husband of her own and little children, and there is nothing that you can do about it." With that she left the room and a now terrified Ron, who had to ponder this -new- information. Sure, it would be really fun with grandchildren, he saw the way Bill acted with Isabelle, but that was something that wouldn't happen for at least the coming fifteen to thirty years, if Ronald Weasley had any say in it.

* * *

Rose felt calm as she just walking there beside Scorpius, resting her head on his shoulder, listening to his breathing with his arm around her. They were on their way to Hogsmeade to meet Teddy at the Three Broomsticks, and they were running late, since someone had told Filch that there would be students trying to smuggle things out from the school, something like Weasley's change a House package, when you are bored by the way your house looks like. Rose couldn't understand why they would check everything now, the person who was going to do this would surely do it at a regular day, and they weren't looking then.

The Three Broomsticks were crowded so they had to push their way inside, and then Rose couldn't see anything over the people in front of her.

"Hey, Scorpius! Do you see anyone with blue hair?"

"Are you challenging me on a dare?" She had to smile at his confusion, pulling his head down to her level and then she said in a clear voice.

"No, I said, do you see anyone with blue hair." Gently she kissed him on the cheek as he straighten up to get a better view of the room, then he placed his hand on her arm and pointed to one of the far of corners, where Teddy was seated while reading the Prophet.

They made their way towards him, and Rose slumped down beside him. Raising his head Teddy smiled at her.

"You're late."

"Filch was in a searching mood today."

"I see, so what did you want to talk about, I've got a couple of hours before I got to pick up Isabelle at the Burrow." By this Rose looked around, noticing that Scorpius wasn't in the seat next to her, instead he was standing a couple of steps away from the table, insecurity written over his face. Teddy followed her concerned gaze and then he saw the Malfoy kid.

"Well, Scorpius, why don't you sit down? Sure, my dad had a fury little problem, but that doesn't mean I'm planning to bite you." He smiled at the boy reassuringly, knowing that he didn't want to get on Rose Weasley's bad side.

Scorpius slowly walked up to the table, it wasn't that he was afraid of the man sitting there, it was just the fact that why should Lupin believe him. He had no proof, just the fact that it was a very strange and real dream he had had.

"It's not like that…"

"Then what is it like?" Scorpius looked up and was meet by Teddy's eyes, a mix between brown and gold, but they held a friendliness to them which made him relax slightly.

"For about two weeks ago, I was in an accident… and" But he was interrupted by Teddy who started to laugh, neither Rose nor Scorpius could see what was so funny with this glared at the laughing man.

"I'm… sorry" He got out in the middle of the fits. "But… are you telling me that… you two…"

"What is it Ted?" Rose frowned at him, she was utterly confused by all this and she could sense people staring at them.

"It's just that your mom told Ginny about you fancying a quidditch player who got hurt in the last game, and you know Lily. She can't keep quiet about something like that. I think they all know, well, not that it is you" He pointed at Scorpius, who had turned red during all this. "But that Rose has a boyfriend. Rosie you don't have to look at me like that. Do you honestly think that your dad is one of those who know, maybe on a subconscious level, but he will probably still be in denial… on your wedding day. Thinking it would all be a nightmare."

Rose had been shocked, they all knew, but she was relieved that at least her father didn't know anything about it. She had forgotten about what Scorpius was going to say, that until Teddy got himself together and leaned over the table.

"I'm sorry, now, please go on."

"Eh, ok. So I was sick at the same time, which caused that Madam Pomfrey didn't want to mix any potions. I had a strange dream, which included my… family." He hesitated, thinking that Teddy wouldn't want to hear about them, but he just waved for him to keep talking. "Then Bellatrix attacked me" He saw how the man's features darkened, but he didn't say anything. "She was trying to make me one of them, I think, but then Sirius and Regulus Black came. And Nymphadora Lupin." The smile creped back on Teddy's face after hearing his mother's hated first name.

"So, what happened then?"

"They talked, insulted each other, and then the three of them cast a spell and Bellatrix was gone." Scorpius couldn't help but smile for himself as he saw the older man smirk, as in thinking that that was his mother for sure. "The thing, I wanted to say to you was, before I woke up, they talked to me. And mrs Lupin wanted me to say that she and her husband were proud and that they love you very much."

Teddy sat there and considered what Scorpius had just told him, could it be true. Well, why would the Malfoy kid lie about it, he hadn't anything to gain. In fact he was one of Teddy's only living blood relatives. Now he was staring at his hands, nervous, like he was expecting Teddy to be angry at him for what he had told. He could almost hear his mother's voice in his head, telling him to do something, so he reached out his hand and patted Scorpius on the shoulder. The surprised face made him snicker, but also think about what this boy was going through.

"I believe you, Scorpius. And since we are relatives, even one day in more than one day, if Ron's nightmare comes true, then I think that you should now that if you would need anything, I'll be there." The two teenagers had both immediately blushed and glanced at each other, but then they had smiled, which made Teddy's heart warm up. He remembered how he and his wife had acted at the big family gatherings at the beginning, even if this couple was in for a much tougher ride than he could imagine.


	17. Chapter 17

**Chapter seventeen**

It was a couple of weeks after the trip to Hogsmeade and Rose was seated in the Great Hall, trying to listen to Lily who talked about some guy in Ravenclaw who had asked if they could study together this week, alone in the library.

"And you know what's really annoying Rosie?"

"Hmm, no…" Rose had just noticed Scorpius walk in and he was making his way towards her with a smirk as he leaned down and rested his chin on her shoulder, Avery had reluctantly followed him, something he seemed to deeply regret when Lily instead turned to him.

"Avery, can you explain to me why Parker, you know that fifth year in Ravenclaw, why he can't get it that I don't want to go out with him, no matter how he puts it. Aren't you supposed to be smart if you are there?" She was practically boiling over by now, and Avery glanced at her with an expression both amused and almost scared.

Rose turned to her cousin and smiled, Scorpius was now sitting beside her, with his arm around her waist, talking to Avery.

"Lils, just ignore him, besides didn't you say that you were going on a date with, who was it?"

"Michael Creevey, but that isn't until Friday, Parker has talked about today or tomorrow to 'study'." Lily sighed and rested her head on her left hand, which angled her gaze so she could see the angry Christine Finnegan glaring at Rose, who noticed where Lily's gaze had fallen.

* * *

Christine felt the anger boil inside her, how dared that, she didn't know what to think about Rose, other than wonder how she had the nerve to sit there with Scorpius. That was Christine's boyfriend, even if they at the moment weren't together in that way. She comforted herself slightly with the thought that at least Scorpius wasn't snogging the Weasley girl every chance that he got, no that was something he had only done with her. Then the idea hit her, it must be like that she thought, Scorpius was only 'dating' Rose to make Christine jealous, why hadn't she thought of that before. Sure she was angry at him, but she could forgive him, and for Rose, well, she wasn't a challenge. Christine had to get Scorpius alone, and to be sure that he would stay with her for certain, she could always get the help from Rose's own uncle, by ordering one of the best love potions in the world from Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes. A pleasant smile came on her face as she looked at the couple who had just gotten up to leave together, obvious to the plan forming in Christine's mind.

* * *

When they reached the stairs Scorpius remembered that he had forgotten to get his books for the upcoming lesson, so after a quick peck on Rose's cheek he hurried towards the dungeon, but he stopped as he heard someone clearing his throat. He turned around and was met by Albus and Hugo; the later tried to have a threatening glare, but wasn't pulling it off that well.

"Can I help you?"

"Yes," Albus glanced at his cousin, making sure that he didn't do anything drastic. "We know that you and Rose… well… we just know. So if you hurt her…" Albus was now interrupted by Hugo who glared at Malfoy.

"Then we will hunt you down and make you wish that you never met her or us."

Scorpius looked at them for a moment, they were really sincere with their threats he thought, even if they were young, but then again, they were Weasleys, know to have temper.

"I would never intentionally hurt her…"

"We count unintentionally also, just so you know." Hugo put in, earning a glare from Scorpius and an elbow in the ribs by Albus.

"Listen, I really care about Rose, and nothing you can say or do will change that."

"We are not trying to, this is just a… precaution. And we also care about her, we want her to be happy." Albus started, then Hugo quirked in. "Even if it is with you."

* * *

Ron apparated in to the kitchen at the Burrow, making the young Isabelle squeal in delight as he almost knocked over one of his mother's big bowls with food. He was happy that his mother wasn't there, even though he didn't really care, he was used to her outbursts.

"Hello Uncle Ron." Victoire walked in as she heard her daughter, picking Isabelle up in her arms. Ron was hit by a thought that this was little Vicky, who had grown up and was now married and had a child. The Vicky who used to annoy Teddy by following him everywhere, but now he seemed to like it that way. It daunted over him that this could, and probably would be Rose in a couple of years, but in Ron's eyes there was no one nearly good enough for her.

"Uncle Ron, are you alright?" He snapped out of it and looked at her, forcing a fake smile to appear.

"Yeah I'm fine, just remembered that I promised Hermione to pick up some new book. Got to go." With that he was gone, right before Teddy entered, looking around to see what just happen.

"Who was that?" He held out his arms to receive Isabelle from his wife.

"Just uncle Ron." She shrugged. "Think he had one of those thoughts of Rose growing up, he got that face." Teddy laughed at her as she imitated the shocked expression which had just been displayed on Ron's face.

"He won't be happy when he hear about Rose and Scorpius."

"That's why we won't tell him, darling." Victoirie brushed his cheek lightly, but stopped as they heard Isabelle mumble.

"´ose an ´opius." The child clapped her hands and smiled at her surprised parents, who then looked at each other.

"She didn't just say…?"

"No… Did she?"

"I'll bet it was just… she just repeated what you said, she won't say it again."

"And who would guess what she means, she don't mean anything with it." They looked at each other again, and then in a silent agreement they decided that they would keep Isabelle away from Ron as long as was needed, until at least Rose had gotten a chance to talk to her father.

* * *

As Rose walked back to the common room that evening after she had spent her free time in the library with Scorpius, she felt that there was nothing that could make her feel bad, but then she almost walked straight into McLaggen who was now blocking her path.

"Move over, Paul." But he showed no sign of wanting to obey her request.

"What are you doing with that pure blood, anyway Rosie?"

"That is none of your business, we are over, you and I." She felt her wand inside her robes, and through gritted teeth she said. "Move or I make you." It seemed like he, for the moment were ready to make another comment, but then he frowned at something behind her. She turned around and stared right onto a chest, a familiar one, as she noticed that it was Scorpius.

"You forgot your quill at the library." Rose felt ridiculous as she stood there between the other two, who glared at each other over her head. Scorpius held out the quill to her, without looking away from McLaggen.

"Thank you Scorpius." At the sound of his name, he turned down his gaze to her, she noticed a tiny trace of a smile, but then she turned to Paul. "You can go now, if there wasn't something else, Paul."

They could hear his angry mumbles as he walked away, but when he was gone Rose snaked her arms around Scorpius neck and smirked. He smirked back at her before he caught her lips with his own and the rest of the world went into a blur. When they broke apart he rested his chin on the top of her head, breathing in her scent, as he felt Rose tighten her grip around him slightly.

"You know I have to go sometime, Filch can come…" He knew that she smiled at this, and when she turned her head up towards his, he kissed her once again.


	18. Chapter 18

**A/N: Sorry I haven't updated until now, but there has been a lot in school, and then some lack of inspiration :)**** but now I will try to update as soon as possible, I don't think that it will take to long. Now for the new chapter...

* * *

**

**Chapter eighteen**

"Hey there Scorpius, what are you doing?" Christine tried to make her voice as seductively as possible while she looked deep into his eyes, or attempted to as he had his gaze on the book he was reading.

"As I'm sure that you can see, I'm reading. What do you want, Christine?" He didn't even bother to look up at her, so he didn't see the scowl which she quickly hid.

"Scorpius quit fooling Rose Weasley. We all now that it's just a façade." Her arm snaked around his waist as she pressed herself against him, whispering in his ear. "You already have me, so come on with me to… the library."

"I don't know what you are trying to do Christine, but it won't work, so back off." The pout on her face didn't go unnoticed this time, since he had to turn to face her as he probed her hands off of him.

"So you want to play it that way, well darling." She leant towards him again, making Scorpius move away from her as much as he could, since there for some, to him now, unknown reason sat a second year right beside him, vividly chatting away with another second year. They hadn't noticed the exchange between the two older students, since they were discussing who would win in a fight, a troll or a hippogriff.

Christine now had her face almost touching his by now, a smile playing on her lips. "Then let's play, shall we?"

"If you can't get it into you head that there isn't anything between us, then that isn't my problem, but you just stay away." The last part became muffled as Christine forcefully crushed her lips on his, the surprise making him almost unaware when she managed to get her tongue into his mouth.

He quickly gathered himself to promptly push her as far away as possible, but before he could do that he heard a grasp, and the sense of deja vu came washing over him. Rose was standing in the door way, looking ready to explode, and his heart sank when he saw the hurt in her eyes. This wasn't a good sign, he thought of the time before Christmas, how they both had acted, and he wasn't willing to go back to that, not now when he had her.

"You…" Rose took a threatening step towards them; Christine stared at her wide eyed. Scorpius knew that anytime now his life would be over, either way it would be because of him being on the receiving end of Rose Weasley's wrath. 'Well I had a good run, only regret is that I couldn't spend more time with the woman who seems ready to kill me' he thought as Rose got her wand out.

"Rose… I"

"Oh, shut up, Scorpius!" The room had gone quiet; all the inhabitants were eying Rose's every move with curiosity. The out burst had made Christine jump to her feet, but Rose came up to her, suddenly her expression was calm, a hint of a smile could be seen.

"So _Christine_, what were you doing?"

The question and use of her first name seemed to make Christine go back to normal, because she smirked at Rose.

"Just spending time with my man."

"Really, and I thought that he had made it clear to you that he isn't '_your man_' anymore. So why don't you just back off." Scorpius could tell that Christine was only provoking the already furious Rose when she opened her mouth once again.

"He is mine and he knows that, and he will come back to me, when he realises that he can't be without me. Like _you_ could even be compared to _me_. He will come back begging on his knees for me to take him back." Scorpius just wanted to scream at the blond girl who stood there and hurled insults at both him and Rose, but he also sensed that this was his moment to step between the two angry girls. So he stood up and moved towards them, but just as he got in the middle, he felt something collide with his face followed with a shriek and pain.

"Scorpius! I'm so sorry, are you alright?!" He then found himself with Rose's arms around him, and he absentmindedly put a reassuring arm around her waist, while rubbing a now aching jaw with the other.

"You got a really mean right hook there, Rose." Her grip around him tightened, as she mumbled to his chest.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to punch _you_…" They were interrupted by a low hiss from behind Scorpius.

"You hit him!" Christine was beat red in the face and she glared at Rose, who looked over Scorpius shoulder.

"Stop it Christine, and leave us alone." Scorpius shot her a furious glare over Rose's head, but Christine didn't seem to notice. She snorted loudly and then dashed off, but before she came to the door she turned around slightly.

"You will regret all of this, you hear me Weasley." There was a silence, but then when all the students, who had witnessed the whole scene realised that there wasn't getting anymore drama for the moment, the sound level increased once again as they started talking about what just saw.

"How's your face?" Rose reluctantly turned her gaze up to meet his and lightly stroke him over the area where her fist had landed; he just smirked down at her.

"I think that I probably going to survive, but we can't be too sure that I get to keep my pretty face, which you love so much." He felt her box him lightly in the side, and he squeezed her tighter to him. He then remembered why she had punched him in the first place and he felt that he wanted to sort this out.

"About Christine, I tried…" Rose held up her hand to get him to stop, and then she smiled at him.

"Scorpius, I saw it all, you wanted her to go away, then she came on to you. She just made me so angry." She kissed him on the cheek, and laughed at the confused look on his face. "Sorry again, but you know, you should never come between me and someone else in a fight."

"I think I've got that."

"Yeah, you better."

* * *

Christine was fuming as she came out in the corridor, and she was deep in thoughts, it now seemed like she had to alter her plans, it wasn't enough with only the love potion, it had to be more, but what. Then it hit her, literally, as she walked into none other than Paul McLaggen, Rose's ex boyfriend. She had seen the looks he gave the 'happy couple'; it was the same as she gave them. He would surely be more than willing to go along with her plan.

"Paul, I think that I might have a proposition for you." She let her hand trace along his shirt collar, smiling as his confusion grew in his eyes and he had to swallow hard before he managed to stutter.

"Wh-at do y-ou mean?"

"I mean, what would you do if I told you how you can get Rose Weasley back?"

"I would be all ears."

* * *

Teddy felt like the end could come at any minute now, he and his wife had been invited to a family dinner, and since they couldn't decline one more time, at the end they almost didn't answer when someone used the fire place to try to contact them. But now they were seated in the living room together with the other adults and Isabelle, who happily bounced on Teddy's lap. Her parents afraid that she would say something which would doom them all if it reached Ron.

The other Weasley's didn't seem to notice the tension coming from them, or their nervous glances every time their daughter opened her mouth. Soon Teddy felt that he couldn't take it anymore.

"I'll go to the kitchen, do you want anything?" He leant over to his wife, who gave him a small smile.

"All I want right now is to get out of here, since uncle Ron is walking straight towards us." She mumbled to him, so that only Teddy was able to hear her words. Teddy barely had time to turn his head around before Ron had reached them.

"óse ´nd…" Isabelle couldn't say the rest of the sentence, her father had instantly realized what she was going to say, it was something she wanted to say to all the people she meet, and he could understand it too, her first words kind of, and if the circumstances had been different he himself would have been extremely proud to show them all what his daughter could do. But so was not the case, so Teddy quickly started to bounce Isabelle on his lap, making her temporarily forget everything else, Ron how ever didn't.

"What was that she tried to say?" Teddy felt how Victoire tensed up beside him, and he wasn't to relaxed either.

"That… You mean right now?" He tried to think while the very lame attempt to gain more time disappeared.

"It sounded like something about Rose…"

"Oh, you know Uncle Ron how small children are, just babbling, not much sense comes out from trying to understand what they mean." Victoire forced a smile towards him, but even if Ron didn't look so convinced he didn't say anything more, that because of the knock on the front door, which was so loud it could be heard even among the large group of people inside.

"I wonder who that could be…" Mrs. Weasley threw her husband a confused glance as she got up to answer, it didn't take long before she was back again. If the confusion on her face had been big before she went to the door it was even greater now and the room was quiet when she came back, everyone wondering who it might have been.

"Ronald dear, mr. Malfoy wants to see you outside. He said that there was something he wanted to talk to you about."

"Why does Lucius Malfoy want to talk to me?" Mrs. Weasley sighed in frustration over her youngest son, who hadn't moved from his spot beside Teddy and Victoire, who both stared at mrs. Weasley with wide eyes.

"Not Lucius, Draco, and it seemed like he didn't have much time, so just go out there."

"Alright, I'll go." As he passed by Harry he mumbled to his best friend. "Wonder what the git wants now, haven't we saved him enough."

"Just stay calm Ron."


	19. Chapter 19

Chapter nineteen

"So what could you possibly want Malfoy?"

Draco Malfoy had been standing with his back towards the house and he now slowly turned around to face Ron.

"I hoped Weasley that you could tell me more about what is said in this letter I received this morning." They eyed each other coolly, and then Draco held out the said letter towards Ron. They were both careful not to touch the other and to not stand to close, which resulted in Ron almost dropping the item in a water puddle.

"So… What do you say about it?" Draco asked Ron after there had been a deep silence as Ron read the letter, his face turning redder by the second while Malfoy was his usual pale self.

"I- They- What…?"

"It could be a prank…"

"Then it wouldn't be a good one."

"I'll regret to say this, but I agree." They looked at each other again for a moment, and then Ron cleared his throat.

"So what should be done?"

"Well… _if_ it's true… then perhaps."

"I told Rose not to get involved. But did she listen to me, no; sometimes she is just too much like her mother." Ron suddenly burst out, Draco glared at him.

"You're saying my son isn't good enough for you?"

"Well yes!"

"As you know then, your daughter can never come near the standards of my son!"

"Then we agree, they won't be seeing each other."

"They don't see each other; my son is smarter than that!"

"Are you calling my daughter stupid?"

"Maybe I am."

"I'll have you know that she got straight O:s on her O.W.L.s, beat that if you can?"

Ron smirked in triumph, but then his face fell slightly.

"Scorpius doesn't have time to study that hard, yet he still has good grades, he is a prefect and his on the quidditch team, as I suppose you've heard off." Then Draco smiled coldly back at Ron. "Maybe he'll even become the next Victor Krum."

"That's it! Rose will no longer go out with your son."

"They are not going out, and they never will be!"

There was a silence were they just glared at each other, then they abruptly turned around at the same time, Ron stomping back into the house and Draco out to the road where he disapparated.

* * *

When Ron came back in every one turned to him, asking what that was all about, but he just muttered something inaudible. 

"Come on, Ronny-kins. Tell me what that mean boy said." George tried, which led to Ron angerly bursting out.

"Just some stupid girl told that bloody git that Rosie is dating that bloody Malfoy!"

Hermione attempted to calm her husband, who was now fuming with rage, but that didn't stop anyone from hearing little Isabelle.

"óse an ópius!" She clapped her small hands together and almost fell to the side, her bright smile still on her face as her hair turned from turquoise to light pink.

"Isn't that just adorable." Mrs. Weasley almost squealed when she looked at the young child, the thought about her older grandchildren disappearing, but Isabelle's parents were more than delighted. They looked at Ron, who looked like he had been stunned by a stunning spell, or having a fit.

"What did… she just say?" He managed to say as he stared blankly at them, and the others seemed to catch his mood quickly, George started to back away slowly to stand behind Percy who just looked at his furious younger brother, since he now was the closest person to Ron.

"Would you believe it if we said 'pygmeepuff'?" Victoire looked at her dad for support, and he got the message.

"Ron, it's no big deal."

"No BIG deal!"

"Ronald." Hermione was once again by his side, now reaching to get his wand away from him so that he wouldn't do anything drastic.

"Didn't you hear Hermione. It's 'no big deal'."

"Ronald Billius Weasley, do you remember our little talk." She looked him sternly in the eye and almost made him squirmed.

"Yes, but Malfoy, he might try to kill us, or turn my little Rosie against me."

"There's nothing wrong with Scorpius. He's a good kid." Teddy chipped in, feeling that this wasn't going in the right direction.

"What do you mean by that, Lupin." Teddy, as well as every one else saw how Ron's rage were building up, his face was red as a tomato.

"He hasn't done anything. And if you are judging by family, then maybe Isabelle and I should leave." He kept his calm, but it was difficult, Teddy felt Victoire's hand in his and squeezed it lightly in reasurance.

"Don't be silly Teddy. Ron doesn't mean it, or what do you say Ron?" Ginny glared at her older brother, who mirrored her expression.

"Yeah, Ginny's right, Teddy." Harry scowled at his best friend then turned to smile encouraging to his god son.

"Well, I'm related to Malfoy and all the others."

"So are we all, Ted. Only little more distant, than you." Mrs. Weasley came over to the couple who had begun to scramble to pick up their daughter and her toys.

"I think we should go, grandma. Just till the worst is over."

"The **_WORST_**! What could be worse than my daughter being together with _that slytherin_!"

"Are you even sure that they are together, Ron?" Hermione hugged his arm.

"No, but anyway, that doesn't matter. She won't have anything to do with him. I will even make precautions."

"Come, let's go." Teddy whispered to Victoire, and then they were gone. After the sudden noise from the apparition, the room fell into an eerie silent.

* * *

Rose could feel Christine's glares in the back of her head as she sat and talked to Lily at breakfast about the night before when her younger cousin had 'suffered' through an evening with Fredric Parker in the library. 

"He basically jumped me!"

"I'm sure he didn't, he's so shy." Rose had a hard time believing that the Ravenclaw boy had done something like that, since he just wasn't that forward.

"Oh yes he was. I should have never gone down. Or at least I should have brought a giant body guard or something like that." This made Rose laugh, and Lily smiled a little at the thought of having someone in Hagrid's size threaten Parker.

"Do you think that you will need one tonight with Creevey then?"

"Nah, I like him much more. Maybe I should have like, a 'wing man', to save me if it gets to awkward, you know." She nudged Rose in the side and gave her a meaningful look.

"What do you mean by that, exactly?" The suspicion was evident in Rose's every move as she raised an eyebrow.

"Well… If you see me suffer of, for example…" Lily had to think for a moment, and her face got a slight frown. "Extreme boredom, then you swoops in with some crazy story, telling me that you need me."

"What makes you think that I will need you?" Rose had begun laughing again, but Lily just continued like there had been no interruption.

"Then I won't look like the bad guy, and well, you… Just say that I'd owe you big time."

"Alright, fine I'll do it. But you owe me."

Rose had never thought that you could actually die of boredom, but now she knew that it got at least close to it if you had to sit on a bench, hidden from sight and watching your younger cousin on a date. A date which had run smoothly from the start, and she didn't see what need she was filling when she heard Lily's laughter.

"Ok Rose, what are you doing?" She noticed someone slumping down beside her on the bench.

"Huh?"

"I saw you on the map; you've been sitting here for a really long time now, Rosie. Why?"

Albus studied her for a second, but then he saw Lily with Creevey. "Isn't it supposed to be mine and Hugo's job to keep an eye on you two?"

"Lily wanted me to interrupt if she didn't like the date, but she seems to enjoy it." Just as she said it her gaze locked with Lily's, and she saw her younger cousin make a swift motion across her throat when her date wasn't watching. Albus who hadn't noticed kept talking.

"I can't believe that she gave you 'permission' to do that."

"Sorry Al, but… duty calls." She quickly got up and left him with a disappointed look on his face, but it lightened up when his girlfriend came over to him, Rose noted as she made her way towards Lily.

"Lily Potter, you come over here at once, you here me!" Rose smirked a little when she made Creevey jump in his seat, but she kept going. "How could you, you knew that I had worked on that essay for weeks, now I have to do it all over again, and you'll help me."

"What?" Lily could barely manage to hide her delight over Rose's charade.

"You made the mess, so you'll help with cleaning it up. Or I'll tell uncle Harry about that incident in his office." That made Lily forget that it was all an act, her face became red and she glared at Rose.

"You wouldn't dare, and it was an accident. I didn't mean to mix the potions, who would have know that they were going to blow up and turn every thing pink. And we cleaned it up."

"If I remember correctly, your dad got some embarrassing questions about his light pink robe, which had sparkles on it."

"So… the colour didn't cover the green sparkles, it was his robe for special occations,"

"It was green before."

"I know, but you can't tell him now that it was me. I'll get an even worse punishment than James."

"Then you better come with me. Sorry Michael." The boy looked really sad as they left, but Lily seemed unaware of it.

"Lils, why didn't it go well?" It seemed like this brought her down to the ground a bit.

"He kept talking about his ex. I'm not in the mood to be someone's rebound."

"OK," But she didn't have time to finish the sentence since her head was suddenly an owls nest.

"Look it's Pig." Lily pointed at Rose's hair and tried unsuccessfully to hide her laugh.

"What could it be?" Rose struggled to get the tiny owl out of her hair, and with some help from Lily the owl was free once again.

"It's a letter from dad…"


	20. Chapter 20

A/N: I'm really sorry that it has taken so long to post this, it's just I had to think really hard about how I wanted this story to continue, I thought that I had written myself into a corner, but than I realised that there is so much that can happen, and I think it's going to be really intressting, at least for me. So don't worry when you read this :)

I promise that I have already started the next chapter

* * *

**Chapter twenty**

Rose could feel the shiver run down her spine as ske stared at the envelope, her dad had sent her a howler, A HOWLER. He had never done that before, not to her, sure Hugo recived at least one a year, but Rose had never been graced with that particular gesture.

"Open it Rosie, you know what Neville always says, it might explode." Lily said as she studied the said item, slowly taking steps away from her cousin.

"Is there anyone near by?" They both looked around, but saw no one, then Rose ripped the letter open and winced as the furious voice of Ron Weasley rang out in the corridor.

"**Rose Weasley**, what are that head of yours, I sure hope it's not on vacation, because clearly you need it with you, so that you can think. Then you wouldn't be fratenaising with that… **PURE BLOOD!** And that said _pure blood's_ **FATHER** had to tell me, I think that you are all raised better than that! This goes to you Hugo, Lily and Albus, you hear."

Curious by passers had begun to stop, so that they wouldn't miss a word, which would have been difficult since Rose suspected that they would surely be able to hear it even in the Forbidden Forest. She could feel her face heat up, she saw Lily wince at the mention of her name, it got even worse when they noticed that even some of the professors were listening.

"Have I not told you what _they_ are, they are _evil_ in **every way possible**, it runs in their_ family_. And I know that you deep down do **not** like **him** for what _he truly is_!" Then his tone changed into a more calm and civilised one. "We are all looking forward to have you back home for the summer, say hi to the others from me and your mom."

Rose was stunned, and so where all others who had heard it all, she felt extremely humiliated, but then she looked up and meet the ice blue eyes of Scorpius, who stood a few meters away from the crowd that had been formed.

His face showed nothing, which was the thing that worried her the most; it was just blank with no emotions. She needed to get to him, but Hugo and Albus got in her way, blocking the view of the retreating slytherin's back.

"Rosie, we swear to you, it wasn't us."

"We had nothing to do with it."

"And we are really sorry."

They smiled faintly at her, but she didn't notice, not even Hugo's concerned hand on her shoulder.

"I… have to go."

* * *

Rose rushed through the Great Hall, just as the oak door closed. Guessing that it was Scorpius, she sped up and slammed the door open. She couldn't see him at first, and she disappointedly turned to go back inside to continue the search when she was stopped by his voice.

"What do you want from me Rose?" His posture was hard and his voice stung her, but it also set off the built up anger inside, an anger that wasn't from the start caused by him, but he was there to suffer from the effects.

"What do you mean, _Scorpius_?!" He took a step forward, and so did she, neither of them were going to back down.

"I mean exactly what I said." His blue eyes bored into hers. "What do you want from me!?"

"I don't know what to say to that." Rose tried to straighten up as much as possible, he was so visible taller than her.

"Rose, it's a simple question, just _answer_ it." There was a silence, neither one of them knew what else there was to do. Rose couldn't stand to see him like this, it pained her too much.

"You." Her voice was so soft that she wasn't sure that he had heard her, but for a flicker of a second, his eyes got back the spark they had held before. Then it was gone, and he sighed.

"It's too complicated." Scorpius began to walk away, but he then felt a strong tug on his sleve and he was jolted back towards her, her face had a mixture of disbelief, hurt, and most of all anger.

"What the hell do you mean with that!"

"We are too different Rose, your father is right." It hurt him so much to say it and then watch the effect his words had on her. He was so happy when he was together with her, and he wanted nothing else than to have her in his arms for ever, but in his mind there was a something telling him to let her go, if he truly cared for her. That was what he had to do. She needed someone who'd be able to handle her, make her happy, and one of the first things he had ever learned about Rose Weasley was that she was most content together with her family, he would not destroy that. He could not do that to her.

"You don't mean that…"

"Listen Weasley, it can't go on." He was well aware that it was a low blow, to bring in the last names, but he hoped that maybe she would understand why he did this, eventually. Even when she latched out and hit him, he did not flinch, it was the tears in her eyes that made the worst damage to him. He had to remind himself that she deserved so much more than him, and he was now giving her a chance to get it.

* * *

Rose didn't remember how she got back to her bed, suddenly she just relised that she was staring into a wall, and there was a noise, a low murmur by the door.

"No Al, she's still out of it. I don't know for how long… No, Jenny told me. Yes, she found her here three hours ago." She could hear Lily let out a sad and worried sigh. "You better tell Hugo to stop looking… why didn't you think of the map, anyway."

It took awhile for Rose to realise what they were talking about, but then it almost literary hit her, a force full of pain which spread inside of her like poison.

"I don't know Al, something about Scorpius I think." _His_ name, it only served to increase her pain, as she saw his face in front of her, the cold mask that it had been earlier that day. A ringing in her ears made it hard for her to make out what Lily said next. "I'll ask Avery if he knows anything about it, ok?"

Rose just closed her eyes; she was tired of it all, but the scene from before kept repeating like a horrible film with no real ending. His words digged deeper very time her mind forced her to hear them.

She slipped into sleep, but not even in her dreams could she get away from him. She could see him smile like he used to, but she couldn't reach him. Scorpius just stood there, smiling at her and then he was gone.

* * *

Earlier when Scorpius watched Rose walk away, it was like she took a big piece of him with her, he was empty inside.

It was now he noticed the group of first years who stood staring at him, he could tell that they were almost scared of him, and for some odd reason it angered him even more.

"Don't you have anything better to do!" Once they saw his face and blazing eyes they hurriedly scurried away. He was now alone, and he didn't feel like getting inside just yet, so he started to walk.

"I did the right thing, it's for her own good." Scorpius tried to convince himself this, hoping that if he said it out loud, it would hurt less, but it only served to make the pain escalate until it was almost choking him.

* * *

When he got back to the common room it was dark outside and inside the room a fire was sparkling, but he didn't have any time to get to the bed, since Avery had been waiting to ambush him.

"So, there he is." Scorpius turned just by the door, and stared into his friend's face, he wasn't given time to speak, Avery forced him down in one of the couches. Then he sat down too, looking at Scorpius intently, but he could not read out any emotion.

"Potter has been all over me." Avery then realised how that sounded, so he quickly added. "Not in a good way. She was asking questions about you and her cousin. So that leaves you with this… What happened?" Avery was concerned with the very evident lack of expression his friend showed, but Scorpius just got up again and began his walk to his bed once again. Right before he got to the door he said over his shoulder.

"Just stay out of this, understand?!" The voice startled Avery, he had never seen Scorpius act like this, sure he didn't want people meddling in his business, but this was something else.

"I guess I'll have to disappoint Potter then." He thought to himself as he got up and followed Scorpius, who had the drapes shut around his bed.

* * *

Rose noticed as the weeks passed, that the time went faster when she studied, so she threw herself with full force into it.

McLaggen had once again started with his attempts to get back together with her, especially when he got the news about her break up with Scorpius. Paul saw his chance and reached for it, and this time Rose didn't have the willpower to continue to turn him down several times every day, but she wouldn't call it dating. It was more like she was something he could put on a shelf for everyone to see, she thought it was worst with this behaviour when Scorpius was around. Then McLaggen would act possessive, afraid that Malfoy would come and steal her away from him, Rose just felt as if she got an out-of-body experience every time this happened. Something in her mind kept telling her '_he doesn't _want_ you, he doesn't_ like _you_', and then her pain would come back, as she saw his cold eyes.

Her relatives worried about her, Hugo had even tried to send a howler back to their father, but he had failed with it, so he had to settle to write an angry letter instead. A letter that Hermione answered anxiously, worried about what Hugo had told them in his, about what accord after the howler.

Rose hadn't told anyone about what had been said between her and Scorpius, and the others had given up on asking her about it.

* * *

Scorpius had, like Albus and Hugo had told him, been hunted down by the two of them the Monday after it all, and they took his blank expression as an insult. What happened next could hardly be called a duel, it was more like a fist fight, which was only broken up when professor Longbottom rounded the corner and got right in the middle of it. They got away with a detention, were they ignored each other completely.

He had also received a letter from his father, but he only bothered to read the first sentence were Draco clearly threatened to disown him. The letter ended up in the fireplace without a second thought about it.

When quidditch practice came, he looked forward to it, this until he got up in the air and noticed that up here he was alone with his thoughts, a thing he dreaded. He had to get his mind off of her, and the only way to do that was to do that was to do something impulsive, extreme.

The broom started to speed up, he had the quaffle under his arm as he flew right towards one of the newly released bludger, it was like a crazy chicken race, and right before the bludger was going to smash into him, he rolled to the side. Cheers from some of his team mates reached him, but he also noticed the stern look the captain had as he called Scorpius down to the ground.

"What do you think you are doing, Malfoy?! We can't afford to have you in the hospital wing for our last game, do you understand?" Scorpius studied his face a moment, then he said.

"I won't end up there. It was just a one time thing."

"It better be. Now get up there again." Without another word Scorpius kicked off again, but he had no intention to stop with the impulses, not when it worked as well as it did to clear his mind.

* * *

"Lily, have you seen the slytherin's practice the last weeks?" Hugo slumped down next to his cousin, who was currently writing an essay for potions.

"Yeah, what about it?" She asked absentmindedly.

"Then you have seen Malfoy, he has gone insane." She looked up and met Hugo's sincere face.

"I know, but… perhaps… it's their new technique."

"Lils, seriously. Their captain keeps shouting at him, they were both furious tonight."

"Maybe that's only what they want you to think."

"I'm telling you-"

"And I'm telling you to drop it. It doesn't concern us." Hugo couldn't thinkl of a retort so he settled with a snort and a glare before he left her.


	21. Chapter 21

**Chapter twenty-one**

"I think it will be good for you to get home, Rosie." Hugo looked at his sister who barely managed to keep her eyes open as she almost lay over a big book. Sure he didn't like Malfoy, but for the brief time when his older sister had dated Scorpius, he literary cringed at the thought of the word date, she had been like the opposite of how she was acting now. The old Rose wouldn't get this obsessed with books and she wouldn't get involved with the head boy again.

"Maybe you are right, Hugo, but with…"

"There are **no** _buts_, and if you are thinking about meeting dad, then don't worry." She looked at him questionably, this making his ears turn slightly red under her intent gaze. "So we have talked around with some, asked about things…" He tried to be dismissal, but even if she was close to exhausted she could easily see right through it.

"Elaborate, _please_."

"So… me, Lils and Al have talked to mom… and Uncle Harry… aunt Ginny, Teddy and grandpa about some of the things that has occurred and how dad is acting. We are just trying to get a feeling of how it is at home."

"Why?" Hugo looked like he wanted to be in an entirely different situation, and Rose suspected that they had decided that Hugo should do this talk.

"Well… it has been a rough year for you. Like when we won the quidditch tournament you locked yourself inside an empty classroom, and you have sort of disappeared, and you are with that McLaggen to much. We want you to be happy, Rosie. But we don't think that he is that good for you. We want our Rose." She sighed at this, because she knew very well that she had been acting like a complete stranger, even to herself. This talk, that Hugo was this concerned about her, showed her how much she actually need to get a grip of the things that had changed, make them as right as possible.

"I will try to get back, promise. But now I have to think about the apparition test, I don't want it to be like when dad or uncle Charlie did it their first time."

"There is the Rose we have all missed!" This made her smile slightly, something that made Hugo's grin grow wider. "Just remember the three Ds, '_Destination, Determination, and Deliberation_'" He said this while he failed miserably to imitate their mother's special lecturing voice. But it made Rose laughed at it, making Hugo feel that his mission was accomplished. He only hoped that Rose's for now clear and happy thinking would last as long as possible.

* * *

Hugo was met by Lily and Albus outside the portrait hole, they had impatiently waited for him to come out and give them a detailed rapport about how Rose had acted.

"Well… what happened?"

"Why do you look so smug?"

Hugo practically beamed at them as he jumped up in the air as a victory gesture, the sudden movement shocked Albus who stood right beside him.

"It went really well, I think she might be able to see now how it's been these last weeks. She is even **worried** about the **apparition test**!" The excitement radiated from him and on to the others who started to smile too.

"That's so great! Maybe she will get over…" Albus began but Lily interrupted him.

"I _**don't**_ think we should get that far already, but she's _getting_ there." Hugo then added with a slight tint of sadness in his before so happy voice.

"Our goal for now is to get as much Rose back as we can." But then his face changed into the face he wore whenever he and Albus tried to chase away boys from any female relative. "Then we get rid of that **big headed baboon**. Are you with me?"

"Yes, of course, what about you, Lils?"

"You are asking _me_ to help you to break them up?"

"Eh… yeah… weren't we clear on that part, but if you-"

"I'm totally in, I can't stand him, and I can't see why she's with him."

"We will be like the three musketeers…"

"Now you're getting a little carried away there, Al."

* * *

"So Scorpius, do you have any plans for the summer?" Scorpius looked up from his plate and saw Lucy Goyle staring expectantly at him, she hadn't done this since he started to 'date' Christine, but now she was beginning to hope to get together with him. Sure, he could start something with her but then it would only be like it had been with Christine, and it would have been for the same reason, Rose. He had a hard time with seeing her and McLaggen, especially if he looked her in the eyes, those times that had happen he was so close to walk up to the other man to punch him, hard, in the face. But he knew that he had no right to do so, therefore he settled with just trying to ignore it all. Sometimes before he went to sleep he felt the guilt overwelm him, when that happen he couldn't see how he ever had thought that his reason for the break up was good. Lucy's hand on his lower arm served as a kick back to real life, and he quickly shoke it off.

"No, I don't have any special plans." He didn't tell her that he actually had received letters from Ted Lupin, who wanted to know if he would be interested in staying a couple of days with them, holiday from the holiday, as Ted had put it in his letter. Scorpius suspected that Ted knew about it all, and what Ted didn't know he could guess. However he thought that it would be better with some unknown scenary for a while, and when the older man had suggested it one of the letters Scorpius had recived after what had happened with Rose, he had almost jumped at the chance.

"Maybe you could stay with me." Her face lit up as she smiled hopefully at him, but he just stared at her, sure he had started to take unnecessary risks the last couple of weeks, but it would take a lot more to get him to voluntary spend time with the Goyles.

"I don't think so, I've got other similar plans."

"But…"

"Another time, maybe."

At that time his eyes flickered towards the Gryffindor table were Rose had just arrived. He could see a slight difference in her posture, she looked more like herself. She even smiled a little at something Lily Potter said. He realised that he had missed it so much, her smile. If he focused enough he could vaguely remember the sound of her laugh, he felt how he smiled slightly at the memory, but then he remembered that fateful day when it all ended so abruptly. In need to get out of there he got up and moved towards the doors, at the same time silently cursing the person who put the Gryffindor table closest to the door.

* * *

Rose felt the sting as she watch Scorpius leave in the corner of her eye, she knew that she shouldn't want to go after him; they were over and had barely said a word to each other in weeks. It was Scorpius who had put her in this situation, he broke up with her, he didn't want her. Right now she tried hard to focus on keeping herself in place, and not slip back to how it had been the last weeks. She was happy to be going home, to talk to her mom, talk to someone who hasn't been in the middle of it all. To Rose her mother was the voice of reason, and had always been.

Suddenly she felt Lily's elbow connect with her ribs, waking her from her thoughts.

"What?"

"I said that we should perhaps start packing, we're going home soon."

"Yeah, you're right, it will be nice to get home."

"Eh… Rosie… what are you going to do with McLaggen?"

"Oh… I don't know…he can't get any kind of hint…" She let out a frustrated sigh while she rested her head in her hands. "Good thing he won't come back here next year."

Lily eyed her cousin sympathetically; it wasn't much that went Rose's way lately, and when it did it would be snatched away from her in a cruel way.

"There, you got it, next year there will be **new possibilities**. There are many cute…"

"**Don't even say it**, _Lily_." Rose was nothing but serious, and the fierce glare she sent Lily told her that if she liked to live, she should not dare finish that sentence. Lily didn't think that it would be a good thing to push Rose in any direction, but she thought that Rose would feel better if she could meet a nice guy who liked her for her and treated her with the respect she deserved.

"Well, I'm not telling you to get _married_, Rosie. Just think about it over the summer, ok?"

Rose didn't answer, just snorted at the comment, before she took out one of her books and pointedly put it in front of her face, to show that all attempts to small talk would be ignored.

* * *

The sun shone through the clouds, but the wind was chilly, which made many of the students by the train wear scarves. Most of the students couldn't wait to get home and show their families what they had learned this year.

Scorpius dreaded to go back to the Malfoy Manor, not that he feared anything, he dreaded the silence and coldness. It wasn't his home, he had known that ever since he sat down in one of the boats which would take him to Hogwarts for his first year. Hogwarts was his home, and he already missed it. But this summer was different, he wouldn't have to stay at the manor the whole time, there was another place, a place that sounded more welcoming to him that the manor could ever be. He kept the letter from Ted in his pocket, afraid to lose it if he put it in his trunk. He straightned up to look over the heads of the students in front of him, to see were would be the best place to board the train.

Since most of the students tried to get on the train through the doors in the middle he decided to go to the front, where the prefects were to meet later on. Obviously he wasn't the only one thinking like that, and when he got to the door he saw Rose struggling to get her trunk on the train while balancing the cage with her owl.

For a moment he just watched her, his mouth turned slightly when he heard her curse, a pang of longing hit him, he wanted nothing more than to go up to her and encircle her in his arms, but he forced away the impulse as he closed the distance between them. He ignored the little voice in his head which told him to go to one of the other doors.

* * *

Rose had begun to regret that she didn't get on the train together with Hugo and Lily, it was much more difficult to lift her trunk up at the Express and holding the cage at the same time. She could feel the despair and frustration, she wanted to kick something really hard. Letting out a frustrated growl she smacked her arm out, not expecting to hit something.

"Ouch, take it easy." She turned and began to apologise, but then she saw who it was exactly.

"I'm **so** sor- Oh, it's **you**, then it doesn't matter." She turned back to her trunk and tried to lift it with renewed force, so that she could get away from him as soon as possible, suddenly wondering why she put down so many books, she had books at home, and she could always get to Diagon Alley.

"Move aside, Weasley."

"No, why should I?!"

"Move so I can get your trunk on the train. It will be much harder if you are in the way." She wiped around and glared onto his chest, since he had gotten closer, so she was forced to look up to see him glare down at her.

"I can do it myself, Malfoy. I don't need you." For a second something changed in his face, but then the indifference was back and she felt the strong urge to hit him once again.

"Stop sounding like a four year old, there are more people who need to get on. We both know that I'm stronger than you, so shall we do this the hard way or the easy, you decided Weasley."

Rose mumbled something inaudible, but Scorpius could guess that it was more curses by the look on her face, but she moved aside to let him haul the trunk up on the train, then he stepped away to let her get on, and as she passed by him she said a low thanks, then she was gone.

* * *

When he opened the door to the compartment where the prefects were to meet, he could almost touch the uncomfortable silence inside, which only increased when McLaggen who was seated beside Rose, noticed his presence, laid his arm around her and pulled her closer to his side, all the time staring and waiting for a reaction from Scorpius, a reaction that never came. Scorpius just turned his head the other way, ignoring everything. The other prefects tried to strike up a conversation, but failed miserably.

It wasn't until the head girl cleared her throat that the tension somewhat disappeared, but the head girl nervously shifted in her seat under the very intent gazes coming from both Rose and Scorpius, since none of them wanted to look anywhere else.

"Um… yeah… so we… should patrol." She looked at the head boy for help, but he was busy with sending unnoticed death glares at Malfoy. She realised that she was alone in this one with no chance to get out of it.

"Go in pairs as usual. Report to me or… well report to me if something happens."

* * *

Rose knew that she were going to end up with Paul, as partner to patrol with, she almost got a sense of déjà vu as they got out in the corridor. Last time Scorpius had stolen her 'excuse' to get away from Paul, and then she had gone with him instead. She wished that something like that would happen this time, but she strongly doubted that would. She just couldn't stop the feeling of lonliness that lingered with her at all time.

The feeling of dèjá vu only increased as McLaggen turned to her and smiled a, to him, flirtasious smile as he suggested that she should find an empty conpartment were they could be undisturbed. All the emotions inside Rose that had threatned to show, now seemed to boil over inside off her, she was fed up with everything about Paul, and everything else too.

* * *

Scorpius tried to block out the extremely annoying chatter coming from Lucy, who had managed in some way to get paired up with him.

'_I don't need you_', Rose's words echoed in his head, he had broken it off for her sake, he had no right what so ever to get upset by does words, this was what he wanted for her, right, her not needing him. Sure, he knew that she had never really needed him, she was strong and independant, but he knew deep down that he needed her more than anyone. That was his reason, he didn't want to be selfish and tie her to him, especially when she deserved so much better.

"So, who is it that you are going to this summer?" Lucy's question snapped him back to reality, but it took time for him to process what it was that she had asked.

"Eh… some relatives, I haven't met them that often."

"Who are they? They are like us, right?"

"What do you mean with that?" He was sure that he already knew the answer, Lucy was so simple minded, but he wanted to hear it from her.

"You know, pure." Yes, it was so obvious, and when he answered his tone was dripping with annoyance.

"I don't care about something like that, they are family." Scorpius didn't care much of the word pure, it didn't matter. Ted and his wife were much nicer people than most of those he knew, at least from what he had been told by Rose and what he had made out from the letters he had recived, but since he didn't trust Lucy he didn't elaborate more and told her about Ted's inheritance, or that his wife was the child of two, to Lucy, blood traitors. It wouldn't be fair to them, he reasoned.

"I'm so _sorry_ that you couldn't come to us, we would have had so much _fun_." Scorpius didn't even bother to answer her, he just kept on walking, but he suddenly stopped midpace when a familiar voice could be heard through the corridor.

"**Why can't you get that nothing's going to happen between us**, other than if you ever touch me like that again I will **HEX** you so **BADLY** that you won't even know _your own name_!"

"But _Rosie_, we've been together for months, if it hadn't been for _**that**_…"

"_**Do not**_ continue what you are about to say." Rose's voice held very evident threat and this time Scorpius couldn't hear any objection from the head boy, but Scorpius felt a sinking feeling since he understood perfectly what they were referring to with 'that', or rather who. However he thought that it was about time that Rose would finally end it with McLaggen, everyone could so clearly see what she felt about him, except for McLaggen himself.

* * *

Rose was fuming as she briskly walked away from Paul, she wished that she would have hit him harder, just a slap in the face wasn't enough, she was a witch, why didn't she use her wand. She could feel the train slow down, so she decided that she better go get her trunk and then perhaps try to find the others, since she reluctantly had to come to the conclusion that she wouldn't be able to get the trunk off the train without help, and to try and find Scorpius for help was out of the question.

* * *

Scorpius both dreaded and hoped that it would be Rose who walked his way, but then McLaggen came into view instead, Scorpius didn't realise that he had started to clench his teeth together at the mere sight of the other man.

McLaggen, who either didn't realised that it was Scorpius or just didn't care, began to ramble about what had just occurred.

"That _Rose Weasley_ thinks she is so much better than everyone else. Yeah well, I've heard the stories about her parents, and they don't make a pretty picture, so what else can you really expect from _her_." Scorpius' anger boiled up inside of him, he could faintly hear Lucy giggle at what McLaggen had just said, and the later just kept the remarks coming.

Suddenly there was like a part of Scorpius brain had just shut down, when he then pulled his fist back and let it make contact with McLaggen's jaw. The head boy let out a surprised groan as he staggered backwards against the wall.

"W-what was that for?" He glared at Scorpius, but he didn't come close to the furious look that graced Malfoy's face.

"Don't you ever, _ever_, talk about her like **that**! You hear me, or I swear to you, _if you ever hurt her_, I will **personally** look you up and…" The train had come to a halt, something Scorpius barely realised, but then he just walked away without even finishing his threat,just letting it stay in the air, and leaving a shocked Lucy and an angry Paul behind, to get his trunk.

* * *

Rose barely had time to get out of the way, when a furious looking Scorpius nearly ran her down, he didn't even stop to apologise when he almost slammed a terrified-looking, third year back into a compartment. Rose just stared after him, surprised over his strange behaviour since it was the most emotion she had seen in his face for weeks. It was close that she left the trunk and cage to go look for him and get an answer to it, but she ruled against it as something a friend would do, and they weren't close to being something like that.

She found Albus and Hugo by one of the exits, and out side she could see the fiery red colour of her father and aunt's hair. But she couldn't see her younger, female cousin anywhere.

"Where's Lily?"

"She said she was just going to say good bye to some people... and that she would meet us later." Albus waved it off and together they walked off the train; it took the joined forces of both Rose and Hugo to get her trunk off, then they made their way through the sea of wizards who waited for other students, and towards their waiting family members.

Rose noticed how her dad didn't look her in the eye, but she was still to upset with him to give it another thought, instead she stayed in her mother's tight embrace as long as possible.

"It's going to be ok, Rosie." Hermione's voice was soft, so that only Rose was able to hear it, she only nodded to show that she had heard it. She had missed her mother so much, and now she felt safe to feel all that she had tried to repress so desperatly.

Right then they all noticed someone who quickly was elbowing her way toward them, and then Lily was right in front of them, breathing hard and clutching her sides, like she had just finished a marathon.

"Lily, what have you done now?" Ginny eyed her daughter suspiciously, and so did Harry, even if there was more amusement in his face than in his wife's.

"Don't look... at me like that… it wasn't me… that got into... a fist fight with… Paul McLaggen." Both Albus and Hugo instantly turned their heads towards Rose, and the rest of them looked at her to get an explanation too, even if they weren't as up to date as Albus and Hugo.

"Eh… I didn't get into a fist fight." Lily tried to get the attention back to her, since she now could breathe normally.

"Hello, over here… good… now, it's only a rumour, but McLaggen is telling people that he fought with Malfoy on the train, and that he was winning but then Malfoy just took off."

"**He wouldn't do that**." The words left Rose before she could stop them, and as they all stared at her she could feel how the heat spread in her face. "I mean… he wouldn't… _run away_."

"It wouldn't surprise me if he did." Ron spoke for the first time, and he looked over the heads of his wife and daughter, who turned and saw Scorpius leave towards the gateway alone. "**All Malfoy's are cowards**."

"**Ronald**." Hermione hissed at her husband, afraid that there would be a public shouting match, but Rose grabbed her trunk and began to make her way towards the gate way without a word.

"_Really smooth_, Ron." Harry looked sympathetically at the retreating back of Rose, before he took Lily's trunk and they all started to follow Rose.


	22. Chapter 22

**Chapter twenty-two**

Scorpius could feel the eyes of people watching his every movement as he made his way through the crowded station. He assumed that they had heard something about what had occurred on the train moments before, and it annoyed him the way people were pretending not to stare at him and talk in hushed voices, when they so obviously were.

Since his parents wasn't there to get him, it had been decided that since he now was able to apparate on his own, then he could do that and not cause so much trouble for his father, and the whole arrangement suited Scorpius just fine.

As he got closer to the gateway a voice reached him, and what it said made his anger boil up once again.

"All Malfoy's are cowards." He could see in the corner of his eye that it was coming from a tall man with red hair, Weasley hair, and before the man stood two women with similar heights, one of them he immediate recognised as Rose, even if he couldn't see her face.

He felt that he wanted to walk up to that man, Rose's father, and tell him straight to the face that he was everything but a coward, something that most of the students had realised these last couple of weeks, but he didn't, instead he kept his pace and ignored everything around him.

When he came out in the muggle world he looked around, trying to find a safe spot to apparate from. He was able to see Rose when she emerged from the gateway, but he bluntly looked away from her. As he did this he could not see the hurt and disappointment in her face as she too looked away and briskly started to walk in the opposite direction.

* * *

"Hey Rosie, wait up!" Lily ran up to her side, surprised over the speed Rose managed to keep up, even with the trunk and cage in tow. The guilt stung at Lily as she thought that telling them all about what she had heard wasn't the best idea she had ever had, and even if Rose would either ignore it or heatedly argue against it, Lily suspected that everything that had anything to do with Malfoy got to her cousin in some way.

"You know how uncle Ron is, he didn't…" Rose didn't give her time to finish; instead she raised her pace while she called over her shoulder.

"Well Lils, that's the problem. He _**did**_ mean it!"

* * *

Behind them Hermione had forced Ron to walk with her, and they were now arguing in hushed voices.

"You _know_ what's been going on, what is _wrong_ with you lately?!" Hermione angrily hissed at her husband who glowered back at her with the same amount of intensity which came off of her in waves. Ron tenced his jaw, making him answer her through gritted teeth.

"Well _excuse_ me, for being annoyed over the fact that _**not only**_ does nobody tell me _anything_, but my daughter has been… I can't even put it in word… I don't know, with that Malfoy git's son."

"They aren't doing **_anything_**; they haven't done **_anything_** for weeks now. He **broke up** with her."

"And this _surprises_ you how, 'Mione?!"

"Don't call me that!"

There was a silence between them as they both seethed in anger, but neither willing to speak first. Harry, who had been within earshot, he wanted to be able to over hear all that was said between his two best friends, and what he heard made him sigh inwardly at how his best friend acted. Sure, none of them liked Draco Malfoy, but that boy wasn't Draco, and of all people you could ask, Harry knew that it was hard to look like a parent when people expected you to act like them as well.

* * *

Harry slowed down a bit so that he could walk beside Ron, he was going to try and reason in a way that he hoped would get to his friend.

"Ron, did you actually see Rose's face after what you said, or were you blinded by your hate towards a **stranger**? A _stranger_ who might be very important to your daughter." The vein in Ron's face was showing now, and Harry was hit with a flash back picture of how his uncle used to look before he would start yelling at someone. The idea to talk to Ron about this in a public place seemed less bright as Ron slowly turned his head towards him and said in a low voice, yet he could not hide the underlying fury completely.

"Harry, I'm doing what's best for my child, and if that doesn't suite you, I don't _**bloody**_ care."

Harry was shocked, Ron hadn't acted like this towards him in a long time, and as Ron looked straight forward Harry noticed the glares his friend were receiving from Hugo, Albus, and Hermione, well, she looked ready to get into a duel with him.

* * *

The first week at home was filled with an uncomfortable silence, especially for Hugo and Hermione who was caught in the middle of Rose's and Ron's quiet battle. They had been ignoring each other ever since they had gotten home from King's Cross, and it didn't seem like it would going to light up any time soon, even if they would eventually start talking to each other.

"Hugo, tell me about the quidditch games." Hermione knew that this was the subject to bring up whenever they needed to fill in the silences, Hugo just wouldn't stop talking about it if he got started, and he was well aware of this fact to, since he was just as uncomfortable with the situation, but it was hard to come up with new things when the usual became dull.

"Well, we won, but the other teams were pretty close. Eh… Slytherin" He said the name of the house quickly, hoping there wouldn't be any side comments from his father. "would have won perhaps, if they had caught the snitch in their last game, one of their player's flew really good though, _insane_ sometimes, but _good_."

"What do you mean with insane, sweetie?" Hermione was fighting to keep up the conversation alive, just as much as Hugo.

"You know, every feint there is, and I think some of it might have been purely out of impulse. Some of the things could, or would, be called… dangerous."

For a moment Rose wondered who Hugo was referring to, but then she thought that there could only be one person, whose name would not be mentioned, and Rose felt that she was fine with that, to not hear his name. She needed distance to _him_, so that maybe her life could continue as it used to, once school started again.

* * *

Scorpius was bored out of his wits, the only one present at the manor, except for the house elves, were his grandfather. His parents had gone away on important business the same day Scorpius came home, and it bothered him that they had gotten Lucius to come and have an eye on him. This was making him feel like a prisoner, at every slight movement he made, he was being watched, his grandfather expecting him to run away at any time or confess a deadly sin.

He found the most peace in the kitchen, were his grandfather wouldn't be caught dead. The house elves were nice to him, chatting away about different things, as they worked. Scorpius liked to listen to them as they talked, some of them feeling the nostalgia when the subject about how the house elves at Hogwarts were fighting in the Great Battle,they were very proud over that fact, and that an elf called Dobby, had actually worked with them.

Scorpius knew that even if many of them had thought that this Dobby had been crazy, with his talk and dreams about freedom, but in some ways the respected him and Scorpius could understand them.

"Master Scorpius should get up to bed; he's been down here to long." The high pitched tone of one of them awoke him from his deep thoughts.

"I guess I should. I'll come down again tomorrow." He slowly walked out, but a small smile came on to his face as he saw some of them waving energetically after him, but the smile disappeared as he came out in one of the many corridors and was met by the icy stare of Lucius Malfoy.

"Out for a _late night stroll_, are we _Scorpius_?"

"I could not sleep, so **yes**."

His grand father took a step towards him, a smile tugging at his thin lips.

"A little bird told me that you have made some new… _friends_… What do you want to say about that?"

"There is **nothing** to say about it since it's been **over** for quite some time now." Scorpius held his composure and looked Lucius straight in the eye. He wasn't intimidated by the threatening smile on his grandfather's face.

"Good that you _finally_ got that into your head. This would never have happened if the **Dark Lord** had stayed at the power. Your _friend_ had surely not even been born, or what do you think?"

"I honestly can't answer that, but perhaps I'm not the one to say. I should get to bed now."

It looked like Lucius had rather continued this nostalgic talk, but Scorpius was too quick and disappeared to his room.

* * *

Sloping down on his bed, he put his hands behind his head and stared up at the ceiling. He couldn't even try to imagine a world where there was no Rose Weasley, he knew it sounded really cheesy, even in his head, but it was the thought of a happy Rose that kept him going and without her there would be a black hole. Like the one which had been trying to swallow him whole ever since he gave her up. Scorpius hated to be back and he willed the days to move on faster until September.

* * *

Rose could hear the soft knock on her door and then it silently opened up to revile her mother, who hesitantly stood there.

"Can I come in?" Rose put the book she had been reading up till now on the side table and then scooted over in her bead to leave room for Hermione to sit down. Her mother gave her a slight smile and sat down beside her.

"How are you, _really_, Rosie?" Her voice held concern, and Rose couldn't bare to look her in the eyes as she answered, but not before she had taken some time and thought about what to say.

"I'm fine, I guess. It's just that I'm just now starting to become '_normal_' again, but he…" She didn't know how to continue, there were so much to say, but at the same time nothing at all. Nothing could describe the empty feeling he had left her with.

"You know Rose, perhaps he wasn't the one for you. You will meet a lot of other boys, perhaps things will look brighter next year." The look on Hermione's face and the tone in her voice didn't go unnoticed, it was like her mother tried to hold something back, hiding it from her, but Rose just shrugged it off and focused on what she had said.

"I don't know, it's just that I felt so lost after… like there was something missing, and I didn't know what exactly. You didn't see him when..." It hurt her so much to think about how he had looked at her that day, how his whole being had been wiped away, and she didn't know what was left.

Hermione snaked her arm around her daughter's shoulders as they began to shiver from the silent sobs.

"Sch, Rosie… it will be ok… you'll see…"

* * *

This was the only time Rose allowed herself to break down, and for the most of the holiday she didn't have to worry about thinking of a certain slytherin, she had started to realise that a big part of the family were beginning to act strange, telling her that she would have a great time at Hogwarts when she got back, 'being her last year' as they blamed their behaviour on, but she thought that maybe they had all gone crazy in trying to make her forget about Scorpius and were now going to set her up with every single male at school. This was something that scared her, since most of her relatives were of the highly protective kind, and that they would go at lengths like that to get Scorpius out of every ones life; she was worried that she would one day have to admit them all into St Mungo's.

* * *

Scorpius hadn't even bothered to unpack his trunk, so when the day came for him to go to Ted's, all he had to do was carry it outside. He had told his mother that he was going to some friends and were going to stay there until school started. His parents had barely been home at all, and Scorpius was happy about that, even if that got him stuck alone with his grandfather.

He left a note by the door, and then he was off, trailing down the road away from the manor, he felt his steps get more spring to them the farther away he got from the manor. As he passed the big gates he halted and grabbed his trunk tighter as he apparated away to the address Ted had written in his latest letter.

* * *

He was faced by a small house with a fence and a little garden with fruit trees and various bushes. It looked nice, to him it looked homey, not like the manor, and this house had its own personality.

Nervousness gripped at him as he walked up to the door and hesitantly knocked on it. As he waited he turned and studied the garden once again, then the door opened and he swiftly turned around as he heard a high pitched squeal.

"Scopius!" It was a toddler with bright, pink hair and she wore a huge grin as she waved at him, nearly losing her balance as she griped the door with her other hand. He was taken aback by the welcoming he received by the young child, he could hear a chuckle from the kid's father, who opened up the door even more, carefully so Isabelle wouldn't lose her footing where she stood.

"Take it easy there Isabelle, you don't want to scare him away." For a moment Isabelle looked up at Scorpius with a pleading face, obviously worried that he would try to make a dash for it, this making him smile down at her reassuringly. Even if he had never met the little girl before, she immediately brightened his mood.

"You don't have to worry about that." Her little faced beamed at him, and some of the warmth that he used to have came back to him as he saw her hopeful expression light up her golden eyes.

"Isabelle, I think our guest would like to come inside now." Teddy hoisted her up, resting her weight on his hip as he stepped aside to let Scorpius in.

"I'll show you where you can put your trunk, Vicky has gotten the room ready, she was a little disappointed that she couldn't be here to greet you, she's at work. You'll have to manage with us."

"Oh, that's ok." Scorpius was a tad overwhelmed by it all, he hadn't even met Ted's wife, yet she put so much effort in his visit, and the child who hadn't stopped smiling at him.

* * *

"So have you gotten the list with all that you need for next year yet?" They were outside a small room with a view towards the road. There was a bed by the window and on the opposite side there was a closet and a desk. The room was light and inviting, Scorpius was sure that he would like it very much.

"The list will come any day now, but I think that I could guess which books I need anyway."

A smug smile came onto Ted's face as he studied his younger relative.

"What?" Scorpius eyed Ted suspiciously, which only made him grin wider.

"Vicky is very; I mean _very_, excited to go shopping with you, to get your new things."

"Why would she want that?" Scorpius suspicion had transformed into confusion, why would it be so special to buy a few books.

"Oh no, you are not getting it out of me, you can try, but you will doubtlessly fail miserably." A silent staring contest occurred, and neither of them knew for how long they stood like that, and none of them wanted to admit defeat, but they both stopped when Isabelle tried to hit her dad in the face with her stuffed dog. Scorpius actually laughed at this, and it felt good to do so, it had been a long time since it wasn't a forced politeness, and even then he would sometimes not even try to make it seem genuine.

Ted laughed at it too, but after he had threatened to take the toy away from Isabelle, who pouted for a second, but then decided to return to her happy mood.

* * *

That was how the day went by, easygoing and light hearted, Scorpius felt like he could finally relax, even if he had a toddler who tried to climb up his back when he sat down on the couch.

"That's so sweet." He turned his head slightly when he heard a woman enter the living room were they had spent the last couple of hours, laughing and talking about everything that came to mind, or almost everything, they had a silent agreement to not mention a certain, female Weasley.

What the woman referred to as sweet was the fact that Isabelle had actually managed to climb up on his back, with some help, and then she had stayed there. Her tiny arms rested lightly around his neck and her head leaned against his shoulder.

"Tell me if you want me to take her. You don't have to do that if you don't want to." Scorpius assumed that this was Victoire, the woman he had heard so much about.

"No, it's ok, at least she has stopped squirming." They all smiled down at the little appearance slumbering between the couch and Scorpius.

"You know, I think that this might be your biggest fan. The most part of what she talk about is hard to understand, but when it comes to you and… some others, then she can talk like there's no stopping her."

"Then it's a good thing that she won't be going to Hogwarts, she might gang up against me with some of the people there." Both Teddy and Scorpius could see clearly how Victoire's face lit up at the mention of Hogwarts.

"We must go shopping, Scorpius. You will need so much. We must decide a day, this Tuesday perhaps, yes that would be good. Teddy can take Isabelle, or perhaps mom can do it…" Victoire was so deep in her thoughts and rambling, so she didn't notice when Ted stood up and walked over to the younger man and carefully picked Isabelle up in his arms.

"This can take a while, Scorpius; do you want something in the kitchen?"

* * *

Rose was relived when she got to the Diagon Alley to buy her books; her dad had offered to drive her and she had been happy about this, she had almost always been a 'daddy's girl'.

Now they were walking quietly down the street, looking in through the windows of various shops. Rose thought about how the two of them had slowly and gradually started to talk again, but she hadn't completely forgiven him for what he had done, the thing was that she was beginning to realise that she was silly to hope for something that obviously wasn't there anymore.

As they came closer to the bookshop, Ron decided that he would wait for her outside together with an old friend of his, Seamus Finnegan, who was waiting for his wife and daughter who was looking for different things to bring to the last year. Rose moved away quickly since she had the paranoid feeling that perhaps Christine would show up unexpectedly.

Since she knew that when her father started to talk quidditch with Seamus it would go on for quite some time, she didn't feel the need to ask were the books she needed was, she just settled with scanning the shelves for the wanted titles.

Then she saw the white blond hair, Scorpius was standing farther into the shop talking with the owner and showing a piece of parchment. In an act of impulse Rose felt like she had a choice, either she could go back out and make up a lame excuse to why she didn't get any of her books, or she could try to hide. She went with the later and started to pretend to look at something really interesting on the bottom shelf, something so interesting that it made her crouch down as low as she could.

"Yes, Mr. Malfoy, we have those right here, just follow me and… excuse me young lady, are you looking for something special?" Rose could feel the presence of the shop owner behind her, his stare was boring into the back of her head. She mumbled something not meant for him to hear, and then she turned her head to the side and tilted it slightly upward, she wondered why this was always happening to her, why couldn't Scorpius just leave her alone.

"Oh… no, I've found it… Yes, I really need this book… _Easy spells to make you young again_?" She took a better look on the cover of the said book, their was a old witch who would change to a younger version of herself, and then back again. The owner stared at her in disbelief, and Rose was sure that she had heard a snort behind him, were she was sure Scorpius was standing.

"Yes, so now I need to pay for this, and some others." She hurried off in an attempt to save as much of her dignity that hadn't disappeared a moment ago. She could barely catch the mumbled excuse Scorpius got.

"Some costumers, what can you do?" She quickly found what she was searching for and then she rushed to pay and get out.

* * *

Scorpius hadn't really considered the possibility to meet Rose somewhere else than Hogwarts, and when he saw her on the floor his mind went blank, but when she talked he was giving her his undivided attention. He saw how uncomfortable both Rose and the book shop man were, and he had to hide a laugh when she made up that she had been looking for a book to get younger. A book for middle aged women who were nothing like her and the thing that made it even more comical was that the man actually believed her it seemed. He didn't see her leave, suddenly she was gone, and he tried hard not to burst out in laughter so he wasn't focusing on what was said to him.

When he was about to leave he caught himself with hoping to run into her and he felt like he should go and find a compact wall made of stone to bang his head against, why did he do this, thinking about Rose most time of the day. He had been away from the challenges for to long, he needed the adrenalin rush he got every time he managed to stare death, or at least a pain worse than losing Rose, in the eye and then just step away from it and laugh as it would barely miss him.

The worst thing that could happen to him now was that Isabelle would try to strangle him in one of their wrestling matches, and she was a little more than one and a half year old. It was hardly any thing intimidating in her appearance, with her pink hair and golden eyes, and the way she always carried her stuffed dog around with her.

Outside he met up with Victoire, who had gone off to take care of something, but she didn't tell him what, just that he should get all his things and let her worry about everything else, but he didn't know what there was to worry about, he had everything.

"Scorpius, there you are. Do you have it all?" Victoire walked towards him, smiling brightly and looked into his bags. "Good, then we can head home, you need to look everything over for the train and such. The time just flew past us."

"Yeah, but I think I have it under control." They began to walk slowly to the Leaky Cauldron. "Didn't you buy anything?"

"I got that taken care off. Now how shall we do this, apparition or through the fire place?"


	23. Chapter 23

I know it's a little shorter, but I will try to update soon, promise.

**

* * *

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Chapter twenty-three

Scorpius had barely time to register what was happening. He was abruptly awakened by a tiny, pink bolt of energy, which threw the door open and then flung itself on his bead. A second later he was down on the floor, looking up at the ever smiling face of Isabelle Lupin.

"Isabelle, it is 7:30 in the morning." He knew that it was useless to whine, and that he would have either way been forced to get out of bed since this was the day when he was going back to school, but this wasn't the way he had imagined it.

Isabelle ignored him, she was beginning to pull his cover over her and the stuffed dog called Brian, Scorpius had no idea where she had gotten that name from, since he at first had thought that it would have a very doggish name.

"Isabelle…" She interrupted him by frowning at him slightly before she put her finger to her lips to make him understand that he should be quiet.

"Brian sleeping." She said it in a hushed voice and then turned her back to him.

Barely awake he stumbled in to the kitchen, where he found Teddy half asleep against a counter.

"So she got to you too?" Ted brushed some of his blue hair away from his eyes, as he smiled at Scorpius with sympathy. "I tried to keep her away, but she's got energy… and speed."

When Scorpius sat down at the table, Victoire walked in, yawning and rubbing her eyes.

"Oh, I had forgotten how it was when you had to leave for Hogwarts." She complained as she received a cup with coffee from her husband.

"It's not that bad, Vic. At least we don't have to worry about the older mrs. Weasley's mental health."

Scorpius just listened to the conversation, but then when Ted asked him a direct question he jumped.

"Huh…? I'm sorry."

"I said, Scorpius, would you like us to go with you to King's Cross, or would you rather spend a couple of hours in freedom before school?" Ted received a nudge from his wife, but Victoire was smiling at Scorpius, who looked thoughtful.

"I think… maybe I should go on my own. I don't want to cause any more trouble for you."

"It's no trouble, more than that we might be forced to use a protective spell for you to keep Isabelle away, at least so that you can get on the train without her as extra luggage."

They talked and laughed for a while, but as it got closer to eleven, Scorpius said his good byes, and he even had to promise to write to Isabelle as soon as he got to school, even if she couldn't read.

As he walked through the small gate in the fence he turned and could see Teddy holding Isabelle who waved enthusiastically, and Scorpius thought that he would miss them. They were really nice people and he had had a good time with them. He waved back and could hear the little child squeal with delight.

* * *

"Hurry up, Rosie! You're going to be late!"

"I'm coming!" Rose took on last look around her room, picking up a lonely sock while she searched for the other. "Mom, have you seen my other red and gold sock?!" The answered was muffled, but Rose could clearly hear her mother's annoyance.

"You left one by the couch yesterday, please try and keep an eye on these things, we really have to go now. Hugo have you…" Rose tuned it out as she walked down the stairs and into the living room, immediately finding the wanted item thrown on the couch.

She rushed out to the car were her dad was drumming impatiently on the steering wheel while he glanced back to the house every few seconds.

"What are they doing in there?"

Rose shrugged as she settled down more comfortable in the magically enlarged seat. She noticed how her dad was now looking at her intently, as if he was complementing what to say, something rather unusual when it came to Ron.

"You know Rose, I want what is best for you, and perhaps you can't see it my way now, or in the next year, but someday you will realise that you are better off like this." He turned his head so that he couldn't see her face, if he could have seen it he would have seen the hurt that flickered in her eyes. This was the first time that they had actually said anything about _him_.

"There is nothing to say about it, nothing happened." At this Ron studied her expression closely, matching it with her voice, and a mix of frustration and relief washed over her when she noticed that her father believed her. She briefly wondered if she was that good of an actress, or if her dad only believed what he wanted to. The discussion in her head was cut short when she felt Hugo slam into her, he had obviously literary jumped into the car. Hermione closed the passenger door and then they were off, with the ordinary bickering between them all, such as which music they were to be tortured with and if anyone had forgotten anything. Hugo nearly screamed into Hermione's ear when he, for a moment, thought that he had left his broom behind.

* * *

When they were all standing by the train, saying their final good byes, all Rose wanted to do was get on the train, but at the same time she would rather run away and never look back.

"You remember to have fun." Her mother hugged her tightly, and she could vaguely make out her father's voice.

"Not too much fun, and be good you two, we don't want to get any owls from McGonagall."

"Sure dad, you know us. We don't do stupid things, we are on the good side, we won't risk anything, such as our lives. That's just plain dumb to let's say, go looking for a giant spider." Hugo sarcastically replied as he hugged, or got hugged by Hermione, who gently slapped him on the upper arm, but amusement twinkled in her eyes.

"You know that Rose could take points from Gryffindor, don't you?"

"She would never do something like that to me, she's my sister!" Rose checked her watch as this was going on.

"We should go now, bye."

"See you at Christmas, sweetheart." She waved slightly over her shoulder, but then she disappeared among the other students.

* * *

"Scorpie!" Scorpius cringed on the inside as he heard Christine's in the crowd, which she quickly passed though. In mere seconds she was clinging to his arm. "How was your summer, darling?" Her voice was shrill and he was sure that every present was able to catch everything coming out of her mouth. Then he saw her, Rose, and he was certain that she was one of those who had heard every word Christine had uttered, since her face was red and she kept her gaze down, making her almost bump into the people around her.

Without thinking he just shrugged Christine's hand off of him and made his way towards Rose, this was to close to how all those problems last year had started, for some reason he didn't want her to think something like that were going to start up again. He kept his eyes on her back, and finally he caught up with her.

"Hey… wait up…" He hesitantly put a hand on her shoulder, and he could feel her stiffened.

"What do you want, Malfoy?" She hissed under her breath, she didn't know how to react to his sudden touch, but she didn't want to take anymore chances with him, she had seen what had occurred between him and his ex.

He was taken aback a bit by the harshness in her voice, but he quickly collected himself.

"That wasn't what it looked like." Anger fleered inside her as she wiped around to glare at him full force.

"Oh Scorpius, then you **must** tell me what it was, because I think to me and everyone else here, it surely looked like a _girlfriend_ getting back to her _boyfriend_ after the summer holiday!"

"She is not my **_girlfriend_**." He wore the same expression as Rose, but she was too frustrated to notice that.

"Yeah sure, I **don't** believe you. I was just someone you thought would be fun to have around when you got bored with her, and now you have realised your mistake. I'm so **_happy_** for you."

"Do you _honestly_ believe that I am _**that person**_?!" Scorpius felt disbelief, what Rose said; it made no sense to him.

"_Why_, **yes** I do, and as I said, I'm sure that you will have a **_great_** life together."

"Then… we don't have much else to say to each other." He walked away from her, his posture strict and his eyes fixed on something in the far distance.

* * *

Rose didn't know what to do, her head was spinning, a calming sense was coming over her, and suddenly she felt like she was drowning, unable to breath properly.

She was stunned, numb really, had Scorpius actually walked out of her life this time, with no intention to come back. Well, if he has a girlfriend, she thought, but a small voice, an eco of what he had tried to tell her, said, _'She is not my girlfriend'_. She was confused, she wanted him to be with her, but if he wasn't willing to, then perhaps it would be easier if he actually had a girlfriend, then maybe she could have a better chance to get over him. Move along with her life, but then why didn it get to her this way?

* * *

Scorpius was close to physical pain from what he had endured moments earlier. She looked so sure of what she thought of him. That he would be able to intentionally hurt her in that way, but then he thought that in a way he had already done that, but so had Rose.

He got into the prefect's compartment, finding the new Head boy and girl, and a few of the other prefects. He silently sat down in one of the seats, burying his face in his hands for a second to then run them through his hair. Ignoring every attempt to conversation from the other Slytherin prefects, he leant his forehead to the window, feeling how the train began to move.

The doors slid open and revealed Rose, who swiftly sat down, but not before she glared his way, a glare he returned with a false smirk of indifference.

* * *

Charlie Thomas was very proud to be Head boy, and his top priority was to do a much better job than the previous one. He had just before he was about to board the train, been taken aside by Lily and Albus Potter who wanted him to do them a favour in exchange for a trouble free first week from their family's side.

Now he wasn't so sure if what they had suggested was such a good idea, sure he wanted the prefects to at least get along in some way, but this was like asking for a public murder. Lily had thought that if the underlying emotions were gone it would be better in the long run; if there would be one of those after this. He wondered how he had fallen for the line, '_When they manage to be in the same room and act normal, then it will be easier for you, so why not give them a little help along the way?'_. This was going to be a nightmare.

Rose was shocked, hadn't Charlie noticed the death glares she was sending and receiving from Malfoy, it was outrageous, unbelievable. She could not patrol with… that git.

Scorpius was at a loss of words, he was going to spend the journey back with Weasley. He reluctantly had to admit that the Gryffindor man was pretty brave, seeing as he was face with the furious Rose, but Scorpius saw that he wasn't going to back down on this one, so he sighed, got up and then out.

He could hear Rose let out a sound close to a growl and then the door slammed shut behind her. She mumbled under her breath as they walked beside each other, none of them willing to strike up a conversation.

Scorpius was weighing the pros and cons with different things that would take his mind off of the woman beside him, but it was hard with her there. He complemented the idea of go and find some trouble makers who wouldn't give in without a fight, it wouldn't hurt to look for students like that, in fact that was what he was supposed to do, sort of.

"Where are you going?" He had turned around and begun to walk back towards were he knew some of the Slytherin fifth years were. Rose were still standing at the place were he had left her, waiting for him to answer her.

"I'm going to _patrol_, isn't that what we are _supposed_ to do?"

The annoyance in his voice felt like a slap in her face, but she was going to make him feel the same as her.

"It's better if we _patrol_ somewhere we _haven't been yet_."

"We don't know if there is any _**trouble**_ now when they think that we won't come back for a while."

"**_Why_** do you want to go back there?"

"I just **_want to_**."

"**_Fine_**." There was a tone of finality in her voice, and she began to walk in the opposite direction, away from him.

* * *

**A/N:** I want to thank all my reviewers, thank you. And then for the chapter, if you found it strange about Rose and Scorpius's reactions to the things that happens, then in Rose's case, I can blame it on a sort of defence mechanism, to protect herself from getting hurt, or letting him hurt her even more.

Scorpius reaction is that this is a-hard-blow-in-the-stomach kind of thing, he cares for her, it hurts him when he sees her like this, he is angry at himself for not being able to help her, but at the same time he thinks that he helps her by staying away as much as possible. So in a way his anger about his own actions are turned towards Rose.

All their feelings surfaces as anger, annoyance and frustration.

I will try and update the story at least once a week, depending on how much there is to do at school, I'm aware that this chapter was a little shorter than the last two, but I think that the next one will be more eventful :)


	24. Chapter 24

**Chapter twenty-four**

As Rose got down to breakfast on the first day of school, she couldn't help but being relieved that McLaggen was gone now. At least something was working her way, when nothingelse was.

She smiled a little when she saw the new first years look up at the ceiling in pure awe, and as she glanced up at it she was met with a cloudless, blue sky.

"So Rose, how was your summer?" Rose turned her head slightly in the direction of the person addressing her, Charlie.

"Oh, it was nice, how was yours?"

"I would rather forget about most of it, mom forced us to spend time with her best friend since school." He shuddered to give it all more feeling, and smiled a bright smile when Rose laughed.

"Who was it then, that made it so horrible?"

"You know her."

"I do? Well, then you _really have to_ tell me." She had a feeling that she deep down already knew who it was, but she didn't want to get ahead of things.

"Christine, and yes before you ask, it was a _**nightmare**_."

"I feel sorry for you; it's amazing how you _survived_." Charlie didn't let it show if he noticed the quick change that could be noticed in her expression, at the mention of Christine, but then her happy face was there again and the conversation continued.

"Well, it was a trying experience, I can assure you."

"I believe you, Charlie; it's hard to doubt it, when it comes to her."

* * *

They kept talking all through breakfast and then walked together to the next lesson, where they met up with Al.

"Finally, some people whose social enough so I can have a real conversation." He said in a low voice, so that only Rose and Charlie were able to hear him. Rose took in the persons in the dungeon, their wasn't many, since the students got to choose, most people didn't want potions.

She saw Scorpius seated on the floor with his back against the wall, talking to another slytherin in hushed tones. Recognising the other as one of the quidditch players from Slytherin, she assumed that they were talking about their team and different tactics for the upcomming year.

* * *

"So Malfoy, practised any new, great moves for the pitch over the summer?"

"Not really Michaels, I've been busy." The other boy sat down beside him, just as laughter could be heard through the small corridor, and Scorpius knew who it was before she could be seen.

He had missed seeing her face lit up like that, and he could feel jealousy grow in him as he thought that it was someone else that made her laugh. _You have made her miserable, at least you can be happy that she is happy_ _now_, a voice in his mind told him. Yes, that was what he would do, he decided, suppress all the emotions he held for her, and hope that they someday wouldn't explode in his face and make everything a hundred times worse than they already were.

"Have you ever tried to understand a woman, Malfoy?"

"Huh, what?"

"This is a good example, that Gryffindor girl, she looks really **good**, _**no one**_ can deny that, I mean **look** at her…"

"Do you have a _point_ with this?" Scorpius tried to hold back on the snappiness in his voice, but he didn't feel like this was something he wanted to hear right now.

"Eh… Yes… the way she acts, it's impossible to follow her moods. But if she was mine, I wouldn't mind at all... You two, didn't you, you know?"

"There will never be anything between us." The irritation Scorpius felt was rising as the smile on Michaels face grew wider as he heard the words he wanted to hear.

"Then now that she's single, perhaps I should…"

"I don't think she's your type, Tom."

"Yeah, how so, Scorpius?"

"She's different from other girls... she _loves_ books, and she's _caring_... and **_terrified_** of flying…" His thoughts drifted off, and a small smile crept on his lips without him noticing, and neither did Michaels who was looking at Rose who was talking animatedly with the two boys beside her. Michaels hadn't listened to a word Scorpius had said, and Scorpius was relieved when he realised what he had just blurted out.

"She's _**exactly**_ my type…" Scorpius didn't bother to answer; he just stood up and walked into the classroom, which the teacher had just entered.

* * *

"Hi there Rose, _please_ go on a date with me." Michaels had been asking her every chance he got, and Rose had to reluctantly admit to herself that he actually had a quite charming smile, and he didn't look that bad, but then every time she thought about saying yes, Scorpius face flashed before her eyes, and it annoyed her to no end.

So now she had made up her mind, there was time for a change, _he_ wanted her to move on, and she wasn't sure, but perhaps had he done that too, if she believed what was coming out of Christine's mouth. As she thought about it, she had never really seen them alone together, not even together really, except for what looked like Christine following Scorpius around.

"So… what do you say, _beautiful_?" She couldn't help but blush at this, and he lent a little closer towards her staring at her intently.

"Ok, sure." She mumbled as he broke into a bright smile, and she actually giggled slightly at his reaction. Perhaps it wouldn't be so bad, if he did anything to her, she was certain that it wouldn't take long before Hugo and Al got to him.

* * *

As Michaels walked towards the library doors he turned back and winked at someone inside, but Rose didn't notice. However she did notice when she felt a hand take a firm hold on her shoulder and she heard a voice, deep with underlying anger.

"We _**need**_ to talk."

"_**Why**_?" She knew that it was Scorpius who was standing behind her, but she refused to turn around and meet his face.

"_Just_ come with _me_."

"If this is _about_ **Tom Michaels** then…"

"**Yes** it is, can you _please_ come with me now." She sighed in frustration and got up, he was not the boss over her, that could just waltz in and tell her what to do or not.

Scorpius had started walking deeper into the library and Rose walked behind him, several steps between them, she frowned at his backside, a silent challenge for him to turn around and face her.

She focused so much of her attention on that, making her almost walk straight into him when he came to a halt.

"_Can you tell me what you want_? I have _**things**_ to do."

At first he just stared at her, and Rose wondered if she should feel self-conscious about her appearance, but then he took a step towards her, his eyes were blazing with the underlying emotions.

"You should watch out for him, he…"

"_**Likes**_ me, thinks I'm _**beautiful**_, actually _wants_ to _**go out**_ with me…"

"**Why** can't you just listen to me _for a second_? I'm sure that he has said that to you…"

"**Yes** he has, and it feels good to be _appreciated_ once in awhile." She took a step back, glaring at him, and Scorpius pinched the bridge of his nose before he spoke again.

"Rose, just be careful, ok?" Rose was slightly taken aback, with the use of her first name, and her glare shifted to a look of suspicion instead.

"Why do you tell me that, you _don't_ like me, you **_don't_**. This is _ridiculous_, you are trying to…"

"**I'm not trying anything**!"

"**Yes, you are**, otherwise you wouldn't be _here_." She had begun to walk towards him slowly as she kept on talking. "**_You're_** acting all _strange_; I've heard how you try to get yourself killed on the quidditch pitch, and on the train, and now this…" She was right in front of him now, and he took in the look on her face, she had narrowed her eyes as she gazed up at him.

"I'm not trying to get myself killed." He said simply, but she ignored it.

"**Yes, you are**."

"**Why** do you have to act like _**a four year old**_?!" He tried to take a step away, she was getting to close to him, but she just matched the distance in his move.

"I **want** to act that way, now what about _you_?"

"**You** are driving _me_ **crazy**!" He gripped her shoulders in one more attempt to keep the distance between them.

"I can honestly tell you, that you're not doing such a bad job with that yourself…" She couldn't finish the sentence before she could feel his lips crashing down on hers.

* * *

He wasn't sure of why he did it, it just happened, when he heard her surprised yelp he thought that he should stop, but then her arms were around his neck and pulling him closer to her. Suddenly he had his arms around her, holding her tightly against him.

He had missed this so much, the touch of her fingers as they messed up his hair or the sweet scent of her. At this moment he didn't know how he had ever survived without her, this was so right.

They had somehow backed up against the wall of bookshelves, and as Rose felt Scorpius lift her up, so that she was pressed inbetween the shelves and his body. She circled her legs around his waist, she wanted to have him as close as possible. There were no boundries at the moment.

She smiled into the kiss as she heard him groan, but then disappointment filled her when they had to break it off to get air, he was still holding her up with the help of the shelves, but he looked at her thoughtfully.

* * *

Scorpius looked at Rose, her breathing was heavy and her face held a light flush as she studied him. He wondered if this was a mistake, of course it was, she was finally beginning to act like her happy self again, but she hadn't pushed him away, she had deepened the kiss. She had a date… with someone on his team, but she was… he didn't know what to think of it anymore.

"What are you thinking?" Her voice was soft and he couldn't tell what she was feeling, all the emotions were mixed together in her eyes as she tried to sound indifferent.

"I don't know, perhaps this…"

"Wasn't a good idea." She had taken the words from him, and as they looked at each other it was like they could talk without the need to use words.

Slowly he let go of her and she landed on the floor with a soft thump, then she loosened her arms around his neck.

"I should get back now." She mumbled as she walked back the way they came from, she fidgeted with her hands.

Scorpius just stared after her, contemplating if he should go after her or not, but he figured that perhaps it would be better to take a long, cold shower.

* * *

"I'm so happy for you, Rosie." Lily was so excited over the fact that Rose were going on a real date, with someone that wasn't McLaggen that she practically bounced off the walls of the Gryffindor tower, she was however the only one who acted this way. Hugo and Albus were coming up with the most outrageous plans to get Michaels away from Rose, and Rose herself seemed to be in a daze, which Lily explained to the others as something good.

Rose wasn't so sure about that, it was just that she had longed for so close contact with Scorpius, but she had thought that she would never live to get it, and then suddenly it just happened.

They had both partly avoided each other, and when they were forced to be in the same room, Rose's mind had clouded over with the knowledge that Scorpius were close to her, even if they often sat in opposite corners.

"Rose, aren't you excited, when are you meeting him, do you like him, how do you like him…" Lily kept rambling on and on, she even kept it going when her brother put his hand over her mouth to put her in one of the arm chairs far away from his and Hugo's plotting.

"I should go now, he said that he would wait by the doors, and the rest is a surprise." Rose snickered when she heard the muffled squeal from Lily, who clapped her hands and Albus rolled his eyes at his younger sister's behaviour.

* * *

As Rose came down the stairs she saw Michaels waiting for her where he said he would. She walked up to his side, and on her way she composed her face into a bright smile.

"Hello there, beautiful." She blushed at this, like she always did when he said it, it wasn't really his choice of words, but more like what they could mean to him.

"Hi, so… what are your plans?" They began to walk as Michaels started to fill her in.

"I thought that we could spend the day outside, the weather is great and the wind is calm." She noticed how his smile got bigger the more he told her, and so did her curiosity.

"What are we going to do outside?" She doubted that he would want to walk by the lake or just talk.

"That's the surprise, just follow me, and soon you will know." They continued talking about trivial things, and then Rose realised that they were heading towards the quidditch pitch.

"We are going to the pitch?" For some reason she began to feel uneasy, wondering what exactly he had planned for them to do.

"Yes, I thought it would be fun to fly."

"To… fly." Rose stutter went unnoticed since Michaels had picked up his pace to get his broom. She swallowed hard as she walked towards the door where he had disappeared. Dread was building up inside her as he, a couple of minuets later, came back out with the broom.

"Tom… I can't… this isn't…" She couldn't find the right words, all she could think of was falling off the broom high up in the air and then fall towards her own death, but it seemed like he didn't quite pick up on her fear.

"Oh Rose, there is nothing that is as wonderful as flying. Feeling the soft breeze in the hair." He brushed her hair away from her slightly pale face, while Rose tried to see it from the bright side, she couldn't fall, Michaels wouldn't let her, of course not.

"You just sit in front of me, all you have to do is look around, everything is so much better up there. Now come here." He was already on the broom, holding his arms out for her, and she hesitantly came over to him.

When she was seated she could feel his hand on her stomach, drawing her closer and his breath tickled her. Then they rose even more, and Rose felt her insides flip as she looked around her, wishing that she was back safely on the ground again.

"_**Isn't**_ it **amazing**?" She could feel Michaels tightening his grip and leaning forward to her ear.

"Uh… _amazing_." She closed her eyes in hope that if she did, it would all be over a lot faster.

* * *

Scorpius had been sitting under one of the trees in the outline of the Forbidden forest when he saw Rose and Michaels walking towards the pitch. He felt like slamming himself in the head with the book when he remembered that they had their date today, and Michaels had been very secretive about what they were going to do, other than he was hoping to knock her off her feet and make her fall in love with him, so that she then would be all his. Something like that anyway, Scorpius had stopped listen really, after he heard that it was Rose.

He decided that he didn't want to be in the first row for any of it, so he gathered his things and stood up and began to make his way back.

Not knowing why he did it, he took one last look back over his shoulder, that's when he saw them on Michaels' broom, and at first he wasn't sure of what he saw, Rose hated to fly, then why would she do it now.

Then it hit him, she wouldn't really, it was just Tom who was unobservant. For a moment he thought about going over there, but with Rose's mood, perhaps it wouldn't be a welcomed gesture, so he slowly walked back to the castle as he forced himself to look straight forward.

* * *

As they got higher up into the air, Rose dared to peek a little, to see what was so capturing, and she could vaguely admit that it was nice up there, she just liked it better on the ground. She looked down and saw someone with blond hair walking back to the castle, and she could tell by the way the person was moving that it was Scorpius.

An urge made her almost want to scream to him that he should come and take her down, but she couldn't do that, he wouldn't be able to hear her, and it wouldn't be polite to Michaels if she started to call for his team mate, especially not on a date. She had forgotten that, she was on an actual date, and wishing that Scorpius would come and get her away from it.

Shaking her head, she then turned slightly to the boy behind her.

"Maybe we should get back now."

"Do you _really_ _want_ that?" She could hear disbelief in his voice, but she didn't care, she wanted to get down.

"Yes, can we _please_ go down **_now_**?"

"Yeah, _sure_."

* * *

Safe on the ground, Rose could feel her legs wobble a little when she stepped aside from the broom, but she had a relieved smile on her face.

"This was… _special_." He looked happy over her comment and as they began to head back to the school he draped his arm around her, or tried because Rose guessed what he was about to do and deliberately slowed down a bit. She wasn't comfortable yet, to have more physical contact with him, not more than necessary, with the memory of Scorpius so close. She forced the thought of Malfoy away, but after what happened, why couldn't they just continue. _He doesn't really like you, he's acting_, an annoying voice in her head started to ramble, and she tried to shut it out but it didn't work.

She said good bye to him at the place where they had met up earlier. When he bent forward and gave her a light kiss on the cheek, she just smiled weakly at him and walked up the stairs.

* * *

"How are you holding up?" Scorpius had seen them walk in; he had found a bench were he could see who went in and out, in hope of perhaps catching Rose alone. He wanted to make sure that she was alright; he tried to tell himself that was the only reason he had.

"You saw it?" Rose didn't know what she meant with 'it', but he had to have seen something, otherwise he wouldn't be talking to her, or asking about how she was.

"Eh… yes, I suppose I did. I was wondering if you were ok after the flying." Realisation dawned on her; he had seen her when she was pressed against Michaels on a broomstick. She tried to read his expression, but she didn't know what she was looking for really, she and Scorpius wasn't together, they had made that clear, last time it didn't seem that way, but they were arguing.

"Yes, the flying… It was… _special_." She couldn't find another word for it, other than the one she had used earlier.

"Special… good." He turned to the dungeons, what had he been thinking, she had been on a date with another. He, Scorpius, broke up with her, nothing can change that, and she had went back to her own life now.

"Yeah well, I didn't say it was _special in a good way_." She mumbled as she began to walk again, but he didn't hear her.


	25. Chapter 25

Chapter twenty-five

**Chapter twenty-five**

She couldn't sleep, it was impossible, every time she closed her eyes she was back at the broom seeing Scorpius walk away, or seeing his expression after he had asked how she was doing, and it pained her. The look in his eyes had etched itself in her mind, and she couldn't forget it.

Rose didn't know for how long she had been trying to get some sleep, but she guessed that it was after midnight by now, and she was the only one awake. All the other girls had gone to sleep hours ago, and none of them even stirred as Rose quietly threw the covers to the side and walked out to the common room, she couldn't stand the silence anymore. Out there, perhaps she would be able to do something productive, like homework or reading some of her books to take her mind off things.

However she couldn't seem to focus on anything, and with a frustrated huff she slammed the book shut, then she winced at the loud sound, and hoped that no one had heard it. After a few minuets of intent listening, she laid down on the couch were she had been seated, and stared up at the ceiling, like there would be some written instructions with the information of what she could do next. But it didn't change anything for how long she was staring at it, she didn't get any help anyway.

She couldn't stay still for very long, it was like she had some bottled up energy, which had suddenly decided to kick in right now. Deep down she knew what she probably should do, but then again she didn't know how to do it, she was afraid, no terrified, of what te outcome might be.

"Well, if there ever was a time when you shouldn't think, I think it's now." She said to herself, then she quickly got up and left the room before she would be able to change her mind.

* * *

How could he be so stupid, so incredibly stupid, what was he thinking. He shouldn't have been waiting for her, he was supposed to be trying to saty away from her, not look for her. The excuses he tried to tell himself only went that far, then there was his thoughts about her, how he missed her and how he held no regret for his actions earlier the same day. Or he had some regrets, a part of him was screaming that he was the biggest moron in the wizarding world, no one walked away from someone like Rose, in that sense even McLaggen and Michaels were smarter than him. But the thoughts of those two, only served to make him feel much worse about the situation.

Scorpius walked into the Slytherin common room, ignoring every thing, and everyone, around him as he made his way to the dorm. His mind was in such a dazed state, that he barely noticed how Michaels was bragging about Rose to his friends who hung by his word with awe. All he could think about was the thoughts that had been floating inside his head for the past hours.

Yet he could guess what the other boys were talking about, and if he let his emotions get the control, then he wasn't sure of what could happen.

Scorpius didn't want to care, this whole thing had gone too far as it was. If he hadn't kissed her in the library, if he hadn't lost what little control he had... but what was done was done, and if he would be totally honest with himself, he wouldn't want to take that back for anything in the world.

He changed into his pyjamas while his mind was racing as he thought about Rose, every amazing aspect of her. How her lips felt against his, so soft, and how she used to sit around and play with her fingers in his hair...

Scorpius waited until the rest of the boys in his dorm had gone to bed as well before he tried to get some sleep, since he didn't want anyone to wake him from the only time when he could, in his head, truly feel like she was still with him. At this time, it was in his dreams, when he could escape reality, as he experianced the most peace.

* * *

The school was silent as Rose wandered the halls, not entirely sure of how she was planning on doing this in the middle of the night, perhaps it would have been better if she had waited until the next day, but then she might have tried to come up with some other excuse as to not do this.

She would do this now or never, and with that thought, the determination she had felt in the common room returned to her and she walked down the stairs to the dungeons, to walk towards the Slytherin common room, and in search a student who could help her, something she strongly doubted at this time. Possibly there wouldn't be anyone there, then she could go back to bed and then act like everything was normal.She shivered slightly, but ignored it as she kept on walking.

The corridor was darkly lit, and as she had suspected, empty. Despite of the dread that she had felt before, there now was clear disappointment in her head, but what could she really expect. She turned to walk back, perhaps she could get some fresh air, since after this failiure she didn't want to go back to bed. She knew that she needed something to occupie herself with or she would be stuck thinking and analyzing everything.

However she didn't get far before she suddenly felt a strange shill go through her.

"Hello there, might I enquire to what you are doing up this late at night?" Rose recognised the voice of nearly headless Nick, and realised that she must have walked straight through him before.

"Oh, nothing really, walking… I couldn't sleep."

"You shouldn't be walking around in the castle at this time, even if you are a prefect and couldn't sleep." He looked at her intently, making her turn her gaze down on the floor.

"I needed to see if I could talk to someone, it was important." Rose mumbled, not looking up as she could feel her cheeks burn with embarasment.

"Then perhaps I can be of some assistance, who would you want me to wake up?" Nick smiled at her slightly surprised face, as her eyes shot back at him once again.

"I don't know… it doesn't matter, it can wait." She thought about perhaps she should get back to the tower after all, to get away from all of the questions.

"No, you needed to speak to this person, and it was urgent enough to bring you down here, now who is it?"

"Malfoy." She said reluctantly while she crossed her arms over her chest.

"I'll see if I can find him." With that Nick disappeared into a wall and left Rose alone with her racing mind.

After a minute the ghost reappeared with a mix of a frown and a smug smile.

"That boy isn't a very polite person to wake up."

"Yeah, I _know_… **oh**, you **woke** him up?"

"Do you _think_ the whole castle is up and running like _this_?" He smiled at her and then floated down the corridor.

* * *

Scorpius had felt serenity and peace in his dreams, holding Rose in his arms, but then she had begun to blow cold air in his face. And then suddenly he was holding a creature he had once seen in an article written by one of the professors' wives, Luna something. He dropped it at the same time that he woke up.

"**Bloody hell!**" He had started to wave his arms around, as if he tried to fight something off, but then he realised that he was awake and he stared at the Gryffindor ghost, who wore an expression which showed how insulted he was, but Scorpius was barely awake, so he didn't really notice.

"There is someone waiting for you out side. And I would advice you to not act like that when you get there." With that the ghost went through the wall, and Scorpius was stunned, why would someone come down here at, he glanced at his watch, two forty in the morning.

As silent as he could, he got up and slowly walked out of the room, and then as he came to the common room he started to mumble to himself about the idiot who dragged him up like this. He would surely give them a piece of his mind.

* * *

A door appeared in front of Rose and a groggy Scorpius walked out, his eyes was barely opened and his hair was sticking out in every direction, she noticed that he was beginning to speak when he looked at her and did a double take.

"Oh, I think it was the wrong person who was forced up." He wasn't expecting to see Rose, and his rant was forgotten immediately.

"No, it wasn't. Sorry about that." She made a grimace as her face heated up, and her voice made him stop mid stride, as he was thinking of going back in to bed.

"You should be sorry; it's before three in the morning."

"Don't you think that I'm aware of that? I couldn't sleep."

"So decided to wake me up as well?" He hadn't moved, he wanted to hear her out to why she was there, but he didn't trust himself to get to close to her.

"Yes." Her blunt answer surprised him, what was she thinking exactly, he saw her squirm a little before she straightened up and looked him in the eyes. "Can we go somewhere else?"

"Ok, sure." Rose tried not to think too much about the suspicion in his gaze, but she was happy that he had agreed to come with her.

* * *

They walked in silence, neither one of them knew what to say to break it without starting another fight.

Scorpius tried to force himself to be more alert, he had to stifle several yawns, but he got tired of it, and in the end he didn't bother to do so.

Rose felt like she was very aware of everything Scorpius did, and she couldn't deny the fact that he was only in his pyjamas, a muggle t-shirt and a pair of soft pants, something that could have surprised her, but instead she looked down on her own, she was wearing a too big t-shirt and regular pyjamas pants. She regretted that she didn't take her cloak with her as she could feel goose bumps on her partly bared arms.

Even if she tried to rub her arms as discreetly as possible, Scorpius still noticed her attempts, and without a word he brought her closer to him and rubbed her arms too, all while continuing walking and not turning his head towards her. At first his sudden closeness made her tense up, but then she relaxed against his touch.

Scorpius was content with having Rose this close, and he couldn't for his life think about what ever reason he had thought he once had had to not be with her, then it hit him, almost like the bludger at the fateful quidditch game, what if she were to ask him to stay away from her. Quickly he let go of her, almost as if she had burned him. She looked up at him, wondering why he had stopped.

"I think we can talk now." His abrupt changes were beginning to grow more annoying and at first Rose couldn't do anything but stare at him, what was the matter with him. He went from cold to warm, almost loving to indifferent in seconds, and she was getting fed up with it.

"I think that we have some things to get straightened out." She returned his cold stare with one of her own. "We should have talked this through just after… we-we broke up." Rose had never felt this vulnerable and exposed, and she inwardly cursed him for just standing there without saying anything.

Scorpius was sure that this was it, she would never want to see him again, he didn't know what to do. Would it be better if he spared himself the pain of hearing her utter those words, and just walk away from her and never look back at what he had lost so long ago.

"We never really… Are you feeling ok?" Rose wanted to get it off of her chest as fast as possible, but then she saw his face, and she was filled with concern. There was an evident pain in his eyes, and for a moment she didn't know what to do.

"I'm fine, just tired." He tried to sound reassuring, make her do what ever she had come to do quickly.

"I now how you look when you are tired, it's not like that."

"Just tell me what it was you wanted to say." She began to fidget with the hem of the shirt, when she thought about how she wanted to say it.

"We sort of just left it, and perhaps we shouldn't have done that. Perhaps we should have gotten more closure." Suddenly Rose realised what the look on his face was, it got worse for every word she spoke, almost like she was physically abusing him. She couldn't take it anymore.

"Why aren't you saying anything?" She could almost feel tears beginning to well up in her eyes, as the lump in her throat grew and made her voice crack a little.

"I-I… don't know what to tell you. If that… is what you want, then perhaps we should…" He stopped; he couldn't bring himself to utter the words he thought about.

"We should what?" He didn't answer, just looked at her, hopelessness radiating from him. "We should what?!" She raised her voice, but didn't seem to realise it, he sighed before he opened his mouth.

"Perhaps we should… just stop it. Meet others and go on with our lives." Now she was sure that she had tears in her eyes, but she didn't know if he was aware of that.

"Do you want that?" Her voice was barely more than a whisper now, and Scorpius felt horrible, neither of this was what he wanted.

"No, I don't want that. But it might be for the best. You will have it better, if you could have an easy life with your family… and someone…"

"Don't, don't say it. Do you realise what you mean, I don't want that life." Her voice broke in the middle, but she fought to keep going. "What about you, would that be the best for you?"

"Rose, I-I…" He could hear her struggle to breathe through her muffled sobs, and then he was right beside her, pulling her close to him while stroking her hair as he tried to comfort her.

"Everything will be ok, don't cry."

"It will not be ok, don't you understand that?" He could barely hear her response since she was talking into his shirt, which now had damp spots on the front.

"This isn't the time to be stubborn Rose, it will be ok." She tipped her face up towards him with a small, sad smile.

"Not when you talk like that. Like you will leave me…" The words shocked him, but as he thought about her actions tonight they seemed like they made slight sense. He took a deep breath before her spoke; he could smell the faint smell of roses.

"I want you to be happy. You will not be that with me, Rose." What she did after he said that was highly unexpected, she smacked him, hard in the face, and when he looked down at her in confusion she did it again.

"Don't you dare say or think anything like that again. Where have you been these past months? You broke up with me because of that, didn't you, you idiot!" Scorpius didn't know what to say, it was true, her assumption, but he had done it because he thought that it was best for her, even though he had seen how she had acted afterwards.

Rose couldn't believe him, why would he even consider something like that; she grabbed a hold of his hand and pulled him to one of the benches by the wall. There she pushed him down but remained standing in front of him.

"Those things you said that day, did you mean them?" Instead of answering as Rose had expected, he pulled her down beside him.

"Just listen to me now." He waited for her agreement, and then continued. "I thought, and still think that you deserve better. I want you to find someone who is able to make you happy, but without taking away things that means a lot to you, someone who understands you."

"Why are you telling me that, I have already found someone who is all of those things." She saw him visible cringe at her words.

"Yeah, Michaels…"

"Not him, how could you think that, after what you said?" She snorted at how thick headed Scorpius could be at times.

"Are there more…?" He couldn't finish the question before he had Rose's arms around him, he didn't understand why she would suddenly just hug him, and laugh.

"Merlin, Scorpius, do you have a brain or not? I think that it sounded like you were describing yourself before." She looked up and snickered at his obvious bewilderment. "You know that you understand me and make me happy, and for the record, I would never let you take things away from me, things that are important to me."

"Rose, I don't think you understand."

"No, it is you who doesn't understand, you want me to be happy, something that I am with you, but then you say that I can't be with you. But you know, I think that we have gone too far with this, with you trying to kill yourself…"

"I'm not trying to kill myself!"

"Sure, you're not, who doesn't do all the things that you do on a regular basis." He actually smiled at her sarcasm, and for a moment they just stared at each other, weighing their options.

"Do you still think that this won't work?" Rose had a small smile on her lips as she asked him, and he smirked at her.

"Oh, it's doomed from the start." But before she could argue with him, she could feel his lips on hers, and she quickly deepened the kiss, she didn't care about anything else, as long as she had Scorpius with her.


	26. Chapter 26

**Chapter twenty-six**

Rose didn't know for how long they sat there, but of one thing she was certain, she didn't want it to stop. Scorpius had his arms securely around her as she rested her head against his chest, if she tried hard enough she thought she could make out his heart beat, a sound which soothed her.

"We have to go back soon."

"Why?" She knew how that sounded, but all she cared about was that she had Scorpius there with her.

"Because I can't come up with a good explanation to why we are here like this." His voice rumbled against her ear, and she tightened her grip around him as she shoke her head. "Rose, you have to let go."

He began to probe her fingers loose, but it was easier said than done, especially since he didn't want her to let go either. After some time he gave up his attempts, and started to slowly stroke her back in soothing circles.

"But… what if you will ignore me… or-or…"

"Rose, I'm not going to do that. Take it easy, I'm just saying that I think that your brother and cousin won't be too happy if they find us here… looking like this." Realisation daunted on her and she leant back so that she would be able to see him better, she hadn't thought about her family and what they would say about all this. He looked her straight in the eye, his face was serious, but there was a spark there, deep down, like a small flame she mused to herself before her attention was brought back to the subject at hand.

"They won't be that happy about this, not at all." She answered reluctantly, but her grip around him got tighter, as if they would suddenly appear to break them apart.

"No, they made that pretty clear last time." Scorpius squeezed her shoulders in an attempt to be reasuring, but he looked away from her, deep in his own thoughts. Rose quietly played with his hair, waiting for him to continue, but when it didn't seem like he was going to any time soon, she decided that she needed to bring the attention back to the problem.

"Perhaps they don't have to know." He raised his eyebrows as he looked at her sceptically, but Rose kept talking. "Well you know, last time we were very open with it, and our parents found out in someway. _**Not**_ that I'm saying that it was Hugo or someone else of them, who told our parents, but if we just wait and see were it will go…" She trailed off when she noticed the mischievous smile that appeared in Scorpius's face after hearing her words.

"So, this would be like a _secret_?"

"With that smug look it won't be for **long**." Scorpius laughed at her seriousness, and pulled her closer to him, if that was even possible, but Rose didn't object. It felt strange to her how easy everything felt right now, and the feeling that it was how it was supposed to be filled her.

"I'm sure_ I_ could keep it, but what about _you_?" Rose now had an almost identical grin, as she leant towards his ear and said in a seductive voice sending shivers down his spine.

"Are you _challenging_ me, _Scorpius_?"

"Maybe I am, so what are you going to do about it?" She faced him now and her lips barely touched his, and he was dieing to fill the distance between them, but then she giggled and moved away from him and stood up. He just stared at the spot where she had been moments earlier, but then he collected himself and put on his best smirk.

Just as she got to her feet Rose felt a hard tug and then she flew back down into the waiting arms of Scorpius as she let out a surprised yelp.

"Perhaps we might be able to wait a little longer until we have to go?" She shuddered in response as she felt his breath against her neck. This wouldn't be easy to get out of; he had a secure grip around her now as he trailed light kisses from her ear down to her shoulder.

"This isn't fair." Rose could feel him chuckle as he continued with what he was doing.She tried to contol herself by talking, but it was too hard for her. He knew exactly what he was doing to her, and it amused him. "I know why you are doing this, you know."

"And why is that?" The slight pause that occurd when he lifted his head just enough so that his lips were barely touching her ear gave her a second to try and collect her scurried thoughts, but it was in vain. The close proximity made her lose her train of thought completely.

"I can't remember, but I know. However we really should go now." Reluctantly Scorpius loosened his hold on her and she sprung to her feet as he slowly got up.

"Don't forget, not a word about this until we know more were this is going." Rose started to walk away, but then she turned back.

"Yeah, I know." He had only time to say this before she quickly hugged him and kissed him, for what she intended to be just a second, but his hand on her lower back brought her closer. Smiling against his lips she broke away and snickered.

"**_Control_** yourself, I don't know how this will work if we can't leave. Then everyone will know, and then tell our parents."

"Ok, you're right, but you can't hold _this_ against me. You started it."

"I kissed you _**good night**_." She argued as she began to walk backwards towards the stairs. "Or perhaps I should say _good_ _morning_."

"I'll get you later for dragging me up like that, you know." He threatened, but the smile displayed on his face didn't go unnoticed by Rose.

"I'm sure you will. Good luck with it."

* * *

"You look unusual chirpy this time of day, Rosie-Roo. How was your _date_?" Hugo came into the Great Hall and squeezed himself in between Rose and Albus. Albus turned his attention to Rose after he heard Hugo's question, curious if he would have to 'protect' his female cousin anytime soon.

"It was fine, I had a nice time." Rose's thoughts wandered away to what had occurred that night, but as she reminded herself, that wasn't what Hugo had referred to, he was thinking of her date with Michaels.

"_Fine... nice time_. That doesn't tell us much about it. Now what did you do to make you beam like that? He didn't give you a potion or something like that, you know what mom and dad says about accepting…"

"We talked, walked around the lake. Nothing much really." She quickly interrupted him before he could get into a speaker mode, plus she didn't think it was necessary to mention that he took her flying and that she had been terrified almost the whole time up in the air.

"Then he must be really _special_, aren't you glad that you listened to all the advices you got this summer. Soon last year will be completely forgotten." Albus said as he tried to reach some of the pumpkin juice, he didn't notice the intense glares he got from both Hugo and Rose.

"You know Al, when I really got to think about last year, there was not much for me or _anyone_ else to do to prevent anything that happened."

"But it is still that stupid git's fault, it's like…" Albus didn't get a chance to finish before Hugo interrupted him.

"I'm happy that you see it that way Rosie, it is good for you." Hugo was relieved that his sister had finally come to a closure of some sort, but he didn't think that talking about Malfoy in that way yet in front of her was such a good idea. In ways like that he acted like his mother, even if he looked more like his father, he was a complete mix between the two of them.

"Thanks Hugo." She gave him a one armed hug, and laughed as his face turned into a darker shade of red. "Oh, come on, I'm your sister."

"It's not that, it's nothing…" Rose followed his glance and saw a blond girl in Hufflepuff having an animatedly conversation with some other girls, and she could guess what bothered her younger brother. She would say that the girl was pretty and didn't seem just as air headed like some of the other girls in Hufflepuff.

"Ok, I won't say _anything_. I have to get to potions class anyway." If it was even possible Hugo turned into something with close resemblance to a tomato, and Rose tried to hide her smile when she began to walk away from him.

"I'll come with you, Rosie." Albus called after her as he gathered his things and hurried to catch up with her by the entrance. They could hear Hugo's frustrated sigh as he practically ran to them.

"You can't leave me there _alone_ like that, I would look _pathetic_." He hissed at his smirking relatives.

* * *

Scorpius leant against the wall as he waited for the potions teacher to come and open up the classroom, this was one of the few lessons he had together with Rose, and unfortunately her cousin and Michaels, who seemed to think that he and Scorpius suddenly were really close friends, friends who didn't keep anything from each other.

"You know Scorp, that Weasley girl is fun and all, but soon I feel the need to find something else. You know what I mean, the chase is over, and once we have… you know." Michaels smirked at him with raised eyebrows, and Scorpius knew what he meant, but those were images he never wanted to think about, ever.

"How do you even know that she will give in?" Scorpius was balling his hands into fists as he tried to act as normal as possible, without strangling the other man.

"For someone like you, it seems like you have no experience with women. Once she's in love with me, I can get exactly what I want. That's how it works."

"I don't think so, and she knows how to take care of herself. You shouldn't be too sure." It was straining a lot on his self-control not to jump Michaels and beat him senseless at this point of the conversation.

"We'll see about that. It's still a couple of weeks until Christmas." Michaels smiled smugly and watched Rose as she walked into the room and took a seat. She waved slightly in Michaels' direction, but Scorpius noticed that she was looking at him, and he smiled inwardly at the mischievous spark in her eyes. He knew that look so well, and what it would have meant if they were alone.

* * *

"What about Christmas?" As they sat down Scorpius remembered what he had been told before.

"Haven't you read the message they put up this morning. All seventh years are going to some dance thing, like the Yule ball at the Triwizard tournament. Just those who are in their last year… and I'm going to ask Rose."

Scorpius could feel his stomach drop at this even further, there would be a ball, and he wouldn't be able to go with the one person he wanted, and he was stuck with listening to someone who was planning to woo her into bed.

"Hey Malfoy, you should totally ask your ex, that other Gryffindor, she so still got the hots for you." Michaels was giving him a meaningful look before he turned back his attention to the teacher, not noticing Scorpius, who was gritting his teeth in underlying frustration. He felt as if he was going to explode any minute now.

The teacher told them what they would be doing the rest of the lesson and then everyone scrambled to get started. Scorpius saw Rose get up to walk to the little room in the back to get some special ingredients, and he quickly followed her.

* * *

Rose turned towards him and for a moment when she smiled at him, all he wanted to do was forget about everything else.

"I think I'm going to _win_…" He almost had to shake himself to get control over his jumbled thoughts. She smirked at his puzzled expression. "We said that we would keep this a _secret_." She looked at him meaningfully as he realised what she was talking about.

"Yeah, about that… go to the ball with me." The words were out before he even had time to consider them, and her shocked face mirrored his own perfectly.

"_Eh_… _**What**_?!" She spluttered, this time it was her turn to be confused; she had no idea of what he was on about.

"It's like the Yule ball, at Christmas, but only for the seventh years." He quickly explained, glanced back to see if anyone were heading their way or listening to the conversation, but everyone was busy with the assignment.

Her mind was blank; she had somehow lost the ability to think straight. She wanted to go with him, more than anything else. But there were the usual things holding her back, it was as if they were trying to suffocate her with their mere existence.

"Which day is it?" She finally managed to choked, and Scorpius didn't know what to say to that, because now he remembered why he had come to talk to her in the first place.

"It was Michaels who told me… and he told me some other things too." The shock in her eyes was immediately replaced by suspicion.

"What did he say, something about me?" She wasn't sure if she wanted to know the answer, but she needed to now if there was something she should have to defend herself from.

"He wants to ask you, and then he plans to…" She noticed a slight pink creeping up his neck as he talked, rubbing the back of it with one hand while the other ran through his hair. Rose wondered what it could be that made him so uncomfortable. He took a deep breath, as if he had decided that it was time to just say it. "I think that he plans to sleep with you then."

"He **what!?**" Suddenly Scorpius hand covered her mouth, so that she wouldn't be able to start shouting at him or draw attention to them.

"Sh, it's probably _just_ talk; you know guy to guy, he's trying to show off that you are his, out of everyones reach."

He couldn't understand her muffled reply, so when he thought that she looked calm enough, so he slowly removed his hand, searching for any sign indicating an attack.

"So… he's going to ask me too, huh? And do you men really talk like that?"

"Yes, he will ask you, I think that perhaps he told me those things just to get me to know that I have no chance." He smiled grimly at nothing in particular, and Rose thought that she could see the glitches in his façade, and there was a strong urge inside her to hold him close and tell him that everything would be alright.

"_Technically_, you were the one to ask me first."

"But what would that do to this whole 'keep everything a secret'? And the quidditch tournament…"

"What does this have to do with **quidditch**?" She could understand his first question, but the quidditch tournament, she had nothing to do with it.

"Me and Michaels is on the same team, it isn't fair to him if I ask out his '_girlfriend_', and the team would suffer from it." They looked at each other, both feeling hopeless about their frustrating situation, which always when it seemed to improve, only got much worse.

"I'll end it with him. Then we can go…" She gave out something close to a frustrated growl. "**_Why does it have to be like this, all the time? Whatever we do it comes down to this! No matter what we do somebody gets hurt in some way_**."

"Go with him." Scorpius response was quiet but she could hear it clearly.

"**_No_**."

"Just go with him." Scorpius felt that there was nothing that could really solve their problem, since there wasn't just one big problem, but several smaller ones, which made a major problem together.

"No, I want to go with you, don't you want to go with me?"

"Of course, I want nothing else, I want **you**, and _soon_ we can be together for real…" Rose's face brightened at this, and she was close to jump his bones.

"You really mean that?"

"Yes, I mean that. Just promise... if you go with him, don't sleep with him."

"Do I strike you as **that** girl Scorpius, who…"

"If mr. Malfoy and miss Weasley would be kind enough to come and join us here inside the classroom, I believe that I won't be forced to remove any points from Slytherin or Gryffindor."

* * *

Rose blushed as she quickly walked back to the table she shared with Albus and two other students, she ignored the sympathetic look she received from her cousin as she put the ingredients down by her book and began to prepare. Her gaze flitted towards Scorpius who was back beside Michaels, but she couldn't hear what they were talking about, it seemed like they were having a silent discusion, and she wanted to know what was being said between them.

* * *

"What were you and Rose doing in there?" Scorpius could easily detect the jealousy in Michaels' voice, but he chose not to comment on it.

"Searching for some… roots, it's not very organized in there; you could hardly find anything…" He drifted off, as he noticed Michaels glare at him.

"I now that she isn't my _official_ girlfriend, but I would appreciate it if you stayed away from her. You had your turn, and screwed it up."

"Don't you think that that is something that is up to her to decide?" Scorpius answered coldly, and glowered back.

"I know, for a fact, that there are more people than I who believe that it is for Rose's best interest that you keep away." Scorpius couldn't believe what he was being told in a very straightforward way. All guilt he might have had for what he had done disappeared, he wasn't going to let Michaels control Rose's decision.

"As I said, that is up to her, no one else can decide for her, or else she would jus do the direct opposite."

"I see were you're going, you hope that if you tell me that, then I'll tell Rose to not see you again and then she will come running into your waiting arms. But you know what, Rose has moved on, she doesn't care about you, and even if you fool yourself into believing it, she will never really want you. To her you are the forbidden, the exciting, but also something that will be old and boring when she realise that she doesn't have to fight for you anymore."

"Lets say that you are right, then what are you?" Scorpius was surprised over the way Michaels saw everything, and he found some trace of new, reluctant, respect for him.

"That's easy, I'm the one she brings home the family, who will adore me, because of my love for her. Maybe I'm not exactly in the right house, but that won't matter, because I have the right connections." Michaels smiled at Scorpius' stunned expression, he knew when he had hit the mark, and now he could see how some of the walls around the other man were withering away.

"You still haven't said… what you are to her."

"I'm the one who can give her everything she wants."

* * *

A/N: I know that I didn't update last weekend, I had a lot to do, but I might do a compromise. One chapter today, and then the next will be up this sunday, I think.

For those who might get worried about this chapter, Scorpius has learned from his mistakes, and it will not be the same as it was after Ron's howler.

Also, I didn't want to paint Michaels out to be such a bad guy, I just think that this adds up to his character. He really care about Rose, he just have other ways to show it. Not like McLaggen who only cared for himself :) (I'm so happy that he is gone, LOL)

Please review if you liked it, or have something else to say about the story. I'm open for constructiv criticism :)


	27. Chapter 27

**Chapter twenty-seven**

Rose was hoping that she would be able to get to Scorpius after the lesson, but she had barely time to gather her things before she noticed Michaels beside her. In the corner of her eye she could see Scorpius watching them warily as he slowly got up and walked to the door.

"Hey there Rose, you look as beautiful as always." In spite of herself she could feel the blush heat up her cheeks and she couldn't hide it from his searching gaze.

"Hello to you too." She smiled meekly, and tried to get a better grip over the situation, so what if he called her beautiful, it's just a word, even if it is something that is nice to hear once in a while…

"So what would you say to come with me to the ball, then you could shine for not only me." His invite slammed her back to reality and clear thoughts, sending her mind to work faster. She franticly looked for an answer while she tried to hold up a calm façade.

Scorpius was now standing by the door, pretending to have dropped something so that he could hear what she was going to say in response.

"Eh… I'm flattered… really- but can I get some… time to think?" She almost felt nauseated by the mix of emotions surging through her, guilt mixed with aversion towards Michaels and longing for Scorpius, but she liked Michaels at times… She couldn't go with Scorpius, then it would all be blown away again, of that she was sure, but it wasn't fair to led the other man on.

"What's there to think about, don't you like me? Perhaps I just _forced myself to believe_…" Rose couldn't stand the look of disappointment in his eyes, so she turned her gaze down to her shoes; she remembered what Scorpius had told her and inhaled deeply before she looked up at Michaels again.

"I do like you… and ok; I'll come with you." Michaels got a look of triumph as he sent a quick look in Scorpius direction, but the other slytherin had already left.

"Good Rose, I'll see you later." He kissed her lightly on the cheek and then he was off too.

* * *

Scorpius knew what he had told her, that she should go with Michaels but now he saw himself as an selfsacrificing idiot. He was basicly pushing them together, and then what if Rose realised that she had deeper feelings for Michaels and left Scorpius. He was ready to bang his own head against the stonewall when he heard steps moving towards him and as he straightned up and turned around he was met by the clear, blue eyes of Rose.

"You look terrible." She stated as her hand went out to touch his face, and he smiled slightly down at her.

"I was just thinking."

"Never a good sign." They smirked at each other, and then suddenly Rose found herself pressed against Scorpius in an almost bone crushing hug. She patted him meekly on his back before she tried to make her voice louder. "_Can't… breath_."

He immediately let go of her, and she staggered for a moment before he got a hold on her upper arm.

"What was **that** about?" She asked him once she had regained her balance, she noticed the sheepish look on his face before he turned away to look to her side.

"I just want you to know… that I really want you, and then I mean _**you**_, and I'd do anything for you. You just have to say it, and I'll do it." Rose didn't understand what he was talking about, what he was trying to prove.

Scorpius noticed her confusion and tried to think of a way to better describe what he was thinking.

"You'll tell me right, what you're thinking about Michaels, and if he tries something and if you begin to have feelings for him."

"I think his an ok guy, but he doesn't even come close to how I feel for you Scorpius." She hugged him, and this time he gently held her in his arms. Rose relinquished in the moment, wanting nothing else. "I can't believe that you'd even think like that." She mumbled into his chest.

"I'm sorry…"

"Don't be."

* * *

"**_It's not fair_**; I can't see _any reason_ why I can't go to the seventh year ball." Lily sat down to sulk in one of the armchairs beside Rose and Hugo. Rose barely acknowledged her presence as she was reading one of Hugo's essays, correcting him when he had gotten something wrong and giving him suggestions on how to make it better.

"Lils, I _**think**_ I may know why you aren't allowed to go." Hugo was playing with one of the fake wands which he had received for his birthday, holding one of his fingers up to his chin to get the ultimate, thoughtful expression.

"Why is that?" He turned towards her and saw her serious expression, and it made it hard for him to keep a straight face.

"Well, _this **might** be just out of the blue_, but to be allowed to go to the _seventh year ball_, don't you have to be a **_seventh year_**?" He smirked at her as she grumbled and sank down in the chair even further. When the wand turned into a rubber chicken, which he casually threw at Albus' head. However he ignored the annoyed yelp he got as he looked at Rose, and then quickly snatched the parchment from under her nose.

"Any plans for the ball Rosie, are you going with that slytherin guy who's been hanging around you so much lately?" Rose let out a frustrated sigh before she grabbed the parchment and simultaneously said.

"**Yes**, he asked me and I said agreed." Lily perked up at this; she wanted to hear every little detail about the invitation and what Rose was planning on wearing to the event. In her excitement she didn't really notice Rose's vague answers and Hugo was too bored to pay any attention when he knew that he could plan a strategic to keep his big sister 'safe'.

* * *

Some days after the fateful day with the talk between himself and Michaels, Scorpius received a package in the mail, something that some of the other students also got.

He knew that it wouldn't be from his parents or grandfather, but he recognised the handwriting on the letter as Teddy's.

Questions were buzzing in the Great Hall, he noticed how Lucy tried to read his letter upside down from where she was seated across from him, but he just moved so that the pumpkin juice got in the way of her sneaky eyes and then ignored her.

_Scorpius._

_We hope that you are having fun at school, and since it wasn't that long ago since Vicky and I finished, we remember the ball. We –Vicky- thought that it would be nice for you to wear something new. I doubt that you could do that in Hogsmeade._

_I think it's safe to tell you now that this is what Vicky took care of when you to went to the Diagon Alley, and she hopes that you like it, it's nothing much. _

_Isabelle wants me to tell you that she thinks that the __bouncing crombuckets –or something like that, I'm not sure how to spell it- are trying to escape from her closet, and she wants to know how she can make them stay. I have no idea what so ever about what she is talking about, but perhaps you do._

_Teddy_

He smiled down at the letter. He didn't think that the young child would remember what they had said about the 'crombuckets', but then he thought about how excieted she was when she asked him to tell her more about them.

Scorpius then noticed the package and decided that he should open it later, in the dorm. He didn't understand why they were doing this for him, sure Teddy was right, but why.

A loud shriek from the Gryffindor table made him snap his attention towards Rose who tried to calm down her younger cousin, but he could make out what they were, or at least one of them, were excited about. Rose had an almost identical package infront of her, only that it had been opened. He could see deep blue fabric, and he guessed that it must be her dress.

Scorpius knew that she wouldn't be doing anything else but show up at the ball with Michaels and then dance a few dances, she had told him that she would only do that for the display. That way no one could suspect anything between the two of them.

Scorpius however had his doubts, he had been thinking about everything that Michaels had said, and he sometimes found himself thinking that he should convince Rose to say no now, even if he was the one who talked her into saying yes in the first place.

Why did he always have to either push her away from him or pull her closer, never just have her with him in peace.

"Scorpius, isn't there something you want to ask me?" He was abruptly awoken from his thoughts by a voice he couldn't stand at any point.

"Christine, I have nothing to say to you, and I think that I'll never will."

"Oh Scorpius, don't be so grumpy and stop pretending. I saw through it all months ago." She stroked her hand along his shoulders in a way that she thought would be sensual.

"What do you mean?" He tried to shake her off, but her grip on him only got firmer in place.

"You couldn't _**fool**_ me, _silly_. I know that we are meant to be, you were hurting that poor Weasley girl by dragging her into our little game of seduction, you shouldn't have led her on…" Christine placed her hands on either side of his face and smiled when she noticed that she had his attention. However Scorpius pulled her hands off and met her eyes with an ice cold glare.

"What **did** you _**do**_?"

"I did what I had to. I told your father." She said it as if it was the most natural thing to do, and for a moment Scorpius was speechless, but that quickly passed, leaving room for the anger and frustration.

"**Are you telling me that it was _you_, you who did that, I can't _believe_ it! Wait, _I'm sorry_, I can!**" He was standing now, towering over her and the Great Hall had gone quiet. Everyone was waiting to see what would happen next, if Scorpius would continue to shout or possible explode.

"**I did… just because you couldn't keep out of it! She was miserable because of you! All because of what you did.**" Christine was as shocked as everyone else, but she tried to pipe up.

"What about _us_?" It looked like Scorpius was close to his limits and ready to burst, some students were nearly fleeing out to the corridor, while others closed in to not miss anything.

Scorpius had no idea what he was doing, his rational side had completely closed down, and he had no intention to try and get it started again. He almost had his wand, he was almost able to feel it against his fingers when someone came from nowhere and snatched it from his pocket.

"What the…"

"**_Language_** mr. Malfoy, and as I'm sure that you are well aware of there is not allowed to duel at school property. Now if miss Weasley would be kind enough to give back mr. Malfoy's wand, then he can come with me to my office To discuss things further." Professor McGonagall glared at him sternly as it looked like he was about to object, and then she nodded towards Rose for her to give back the wand.

"Take it _easy_." He barely heard her whisper over the whooshing in his ears. He registered the guarded look he got from the professor when he had his wand, like she was waiting for an attack of some sort, but then she turned and began to walk.

"We are not done with…" He told Christine in a threateningly tone as he slowly followed the teacher.

"**Stop** that mr. Malfoy!"

* * *

Rose had never seen Scorpius go off like that, she didn't understand what it was that he was screaming and accusing Christine of, and when she noticed his hand search for his wand she was by his side in a flash. She wasn't afraid that he would harm Christine; she was worried that he was going to get himself expelled from the school, and by being that create one more reason as to why they shouldn't be together according to their parents.

She watched him walk after professor McGonagall, his head held high, ignoring the whisperes and stares he got from his audience.

"I'm so sorry you got to hear that, Rose." Rose had forgotten about Christine, who looked at her apologetically and Rose noted, sympathetically.

"What are you _apologising_ to me for?" This whole thing was utterly confusing for her, and then she could feel an arm around her shoulders.

"I think what she is trying to say is that she is sorry that you had to witness Malfoy making an ass of himself." Michaels chuckled but when he noticed the frown on Christine's face and the glare he got from Rose he sobered up. "You might not know about it that well, but Scorpius Malfoy can get really, and I mean _really_, **pissed** at people if they push the right buttons." He explained and looked at the entrance where his team mate had disappeared.

"I better teach him how to control himself, my mom said that she gave her boyfriend a…" Rose stopped listening to her and turned to Michaels instead when he spoke into her ear.

"You should try to stay away from him, so that he doesn't pull you down with him."

"I can take care of myself, _thank you_." She snapped back at him, and he let go of her and held up his hands in fake surrender.

"I believe that. I just gave you an advice that I think you should follow, and I'm not telling you to do anything." It didn't look like she believed him at first, but then she sighed and looked at the entrance.

"I know you mean well, in your own way… but I am aware of how to take care of myself. I don't need anyone to do it for me."

* * *

Professor McGonagall walked into her office and sat down behind the desk, gesturing for Scorpius to take a seat in front of her. When he was seated he calmly met her stern gaze and waited for her to speak.

"I don't know what provoked you into what was going on out there, but mr. Malfoy I am disappointed in you. You are supposed to set an example for the younger students, not start duels in the middle of breakfast. Do you have any comments before I figure out an appropriate punishment for you?" At first he wasn't sure if she meant it as a rhetorical question, but when she looked at him pointedly he quickly collected his thoughts.

"I don't know what to tell you, professor, it just happened."

"It just _happened_?"

"Yes." He didn't want to get into any of the details; it was complicated as it was without dragging professor McGonagall into the mess as well. She however didn't seem very pleased with that answer.

"I think I might have a suitable punishment for you, I'll take twenty points from Slytherin and later this week you can help Hagrid, he has talked about needing some assistance. You will get more details about it later, you may go now."

* * *

Once outside he decided that he needed to be alone for a while, to gather his thoughts and make a decision about what he would do next, since he didn't find it that promising for his future if he severely injured Christine, even if it would relieve some of his rage.

When he passed the Great Hall on his way to the common room he was able to hear some of what was said. Most talk about how they had thought that he would attack her, why he would do so, but the thing that annoyed him the most came from some of who he thought was Christine's friends.

"Yes, they are getting back together- It was just a little lover's quarrel- I can't believe that Christy is willing to take him back, but he looks…"

He was stunned at what he heard, weren't they even been there and witnessed the scene. How could that possibly look like anything else than a real fight, he was close to pull out his wand, for Merlin's sake.

He wanted to set things right, so that there would be no misunderstandings whatsoever, but he continued down to the dungeons before he would get into more trouble than he was already in.

* * *

Michaels knew that he needed a plan, a good one, no- a great one- to win Rose over completely. He had tried flying, it worked on most girls, who wouldn't want to fly with one of the team players, but that didn't turn out as well as he had hoped. No, he needed to think, Rose wouldn't be with just anyone, but he wanted that special someone to one day be him.

That's why when he walked her to her first class of the day he tried to stear the conversation so that it would be about her, that way he might get some fresh, new ideas, it at least seemed like she was warming up to him a little bit more when he made her laugh.

"No, I don't know what I would do if my mom turned into a troll, what kind of a question is that anyway?"

"I'm just trying to figure you out a little better." He shrugged and shoved his hands down his pockets as they continued walking.

"What have you figured out so far?" He noticed the curiosity in her voice and smiled a dashing smile.

"Well, let's see… you have something against trolls; you would rather drink a bottle of firewhiskey than be a test subject for one of the Weasley products again..."

"Yeah, one of the worst mistakes I've ever made." They laughed as they continued walking down the hall, making small talk all the way until they reached the door.

"This is my cue to leave I think. See you later, Rose." As he had started to tend to do, he leant forward and gave her a swift peck on the cheek, long enough so that she would know what he had done, but fast enough so that she wouldn't have time to act if it was unwanted. He had seen the bruises Malfoy had sported after a one-on-one with her some months ago, and he knew what it would do to his image if he would get beaten by a girl.

Rose wanted to inwardly kick herself, she shouldn't warm up to him, what was wrong with her, she knew perfectly well what he wanted. She was happy that he wasn't like McLaggen, but in a way perhaps he was worse, Michaels was unpredictable.

What she wanted now was to talk to Scorpius, talk to him about everything, like she always could do, hear him assure her that it would all be ok. However before she could rush away to search for him she needed to go to her classes.

Inside the classroom she basically had to force herself to take notes and not stare at her watch every other minuet, it wouldn't go any faster, she was even considering the idea of a conspiracy against her. They had all figured out what was going on between her and Malfoy and was now doing all in their power to keep them separated.

She caught herself as she thought that, almost laughing out loud at herself, her paranoia was ridiculous, she and Scorpius were careful not to be seen by anyone, especially not teachers, for several reasons.

* * *

Scorpius could hear her footsteps before Rose came into view; he knew that he would probably be able to detect everything about her, even in a crowded room. This however was an empty side passage, no one there except for the two of them.

"Hey, you." She was perfectly fitted into his embrace, and her low voice almost made him shiver. "Do you mind telling me what that was about earlier? It's a good thing no one so far has asked any questions about why I stepped in between the two of you."

Scorpius had to fight to keep his voice even, but it was still close to a growl when he spoke.

"That… she is the reason for it all. She sent the letter that told my father about us." He felt how Rose stiffened, but then nodded against him.

"That makes… some… sense." It was surprising that she didn't get into one of her tantrums, how she seemed so calm and collected, but then again, perhaps this was only the calm before the storm.

"I didn't know what I was doing." He mumbled into her hair, feeling her relax against him again. "She just got to me, and I would have attacked her…"

"I know, but I also know you, and I think that something would have stopped you." She was serious when she tilted her head to catch his gaze and then she held it firmly.

"Yes, but let's hope that there will be something that would be able to stop me if it happens again, or else I don't know what I would do." He was silently studying her with a thoughtful expression, and then after a moment he spoke again. "I'm happy that I have you." The beaming smiled that were reserved for him lit up her face before she buried it in his chest as her grip around him tightened slightly.

"_**Why**_ did you have to stand in the way that time? I would have knocked her on her big butt."

"Oh, _trust me_; I know what you are capable of." He smiled, and rested his chin on the top of her head, Rose thought about telling him about Michaels, but then she decided that perhaps this wasn't the best of times to bring that up. Now all she wanted was just to stay here.


	28. Chapter 28

**A/N: 11/25/08** Ok, so I really hated this chapter before, that's obviously why I have decided to re-do it almost complitely. The truth is that I have suffered a big writer's block, and I wanted to finish the story as soon as possible when I wrote the first chapter 28. I knew that the end wasn't good, and I'm have hopefully fixed that, in my own opinion, and then I'll begin the continuation of the story.

**

* * *

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Chapter twenty-eight

Scorpius felt cold and annoyed as yet another slow minute dragged by. He and Hagrid had been watching the hippogriffs for over a hour now and the cold was getting to him.

"Hagrid, why is it that we need to watch the hippogriffs?" Hagrid had been unusually quiet and seemed nervous about having Scorpius with him and there had been a long, uncomfortable silence between them, but at the question something in Hagrid's face seemed to light up and he even smiled at Scorpius.

"Well, it's quite simple; we need to keep an eye on them so that they don't hurt each other, now when the babies have been hatched they tend to be a little protective." Scorpius was stunned for a moment, did they expect him to go in between to hippogriffs, and then they would be sorely mistaken.

"I hope I'll be back at the castle in one piece then when this is over." He looked at the closest animal as it raised its head to swallow what looked like a mouse. Turning to Hagrid he saw that the older man eyed him with worry, much like he had done one of their first lessons with him, when they would met the majestic creatures the first time. "Hagrid, I'm kidding." Realisation daunted on the big man and then he chuckled.

"I don't think the girls back at school would want you to get hurt like that, not that I think these beauties would ever do such a thing, but what with after that quidditch game."

"Yeah... but that was my own fault really."

"How so, you didn't seek out that bludger now, did you?" There was an amused twinkle in Hagrid's dark eyes as he waited for an answer.

"No, but I was sick, and if I had done what I was told and not been so stubborn..."

"Well, things worked out fine, at least for a while." Hagrid turned his face away from Scorpius, but continued to talk. "But what was there to expect, sooner or later everything goes away, or get snagged away from you."

"Yes, it's true. I just hoped that you could ignore it long enough, perhaps it wouldn't matter then." Scorpius talk with Michaels was still fresh in his memory and they still stung, the only cure that seemed to help was to be with Rose, then there was nothing else.

"You two had so much against you. I never could or would understand why you didn't let go sooner. She was really hurt about what happen between you." Scorpius sighed, he knew that he could never do anything to really make up for what happened then, and he rested his head in his hands.

"I know." He breathed out, but it was barely a sound and Hagrid wouldn't have been able to hear it.

* * *

Rose was waiting for him by the doors, and as he sullenly wrapped his arms around her she smiled up at him mischievously, making him arch an eyebrow in question.

"Why don't we go up and watch the stars?" He smirked at this and let her lead the way up the stairs.

* * *

Hugo knew exactly where his target was as he smiled down at the marauder's map he had borrowed without Albus permission, and with this it wasn't hard to find his partner in crime either.

A few minuets later the two of them met up and greeted each other with a slight nod.

"Are you sure?" Michaels asked as he leaned against the wall with his arms casually crossed over his chest.

"Yes, so let us begin, shall we?" Hugo smiled at the Slytherin student in front of him, and received a smile in return.

"From what I gather we made the right choice in bringing up the heat, although they are more stupid than they let on."

"_**Tell me about it**_; it's been like trying to push a brick wall without magic." Hugo sighed, but then cleared his throat and winked at the other boy. "Our plan is really working, you won't have to do this much longer." Michaels smirked and raised his voice too.

"Sure hope so, can't really say that your sister's my cup of tea."

"Thank Merlin, it's enough with Malfoy." At this there was a loud crash and the closet door beside Michaels swung open as a flustered couple stared at the two boys.

"**_What the bloody hell is this?!_** _Michaels_?" Scorpius wasn't sure if he had heard the conversation in reality or if it was just his imagination. One thing he wasn't imagining was the elbow in his side he received from Rose who mumbled a reprimand about language, but then she too turned to the others.

"What were you two talking about?" She asked incredulously ignoring the scowling Scorpius.

"We were trying to continue planning on how to get the two of you back together, but it doesn't feel as important when you keep ruining everything." Michaels said and gave them each a fake glare.

"How…? What…?"

"Like Scorpius, quit being the gentleman in this." Michaels made a gesture and turned to Hugo who nodded.

"Seriously Malfoy, it's weird that you like my sister that way, but get a grip. We've tried all kinds of things, and you both keep messing it up."

"Eh… what are you talking about?" Scorpius and Rose shared a quick, bewildered glance and then went back to stare at Hugo and Michaels who both looked pleased with themselves.

"We met up some time ago and began to discuss… your situation, that's how we began our quest to get you back together. At least then you act slightly more normal than you usually do."

"You wanted to date me to get me and Scorpius back together?"

"Well, we were getting impatient, that seemed like a good idea with a man on the inside, so to say." Hugo jumped in and an accusing finger at the pair.

"But then you both had to play noble, what is wrong with you, sometimes I wonder how I can be related to you, Rosie."

"At that statement I wonder why you are in Gryffindor and not Slytherin, Hugo." Hugo sighed and walked up to his sister and put his arm around her shoulder.

"I want you to be happy, that's what brothers do. Unfortunately for this brother his sister is happy with a Malfoy, but I'm looking out for you." He turned his attention to Scorpius when the later let out a quiet snort. "Yes, Malfoy, I mean what I say. So you can just see this moment as the one when you got Hugo's blessing."

"Hugo, we don't need any blessing… but I'm glad you said that." Hugo smiled a goofy smile and put his other arm around Scorpius as he said in a business likes voice and winked at Michaels.

"So now that's done, let's talk payment."

"Weasley, we are not paying you…" Scorpius began but was interrupted by Michaels hushing at him.

"Back to what we want, we want you to name your child Hugo Tom… or Tom Hugo… perhaps Hom or Tugo, the possibilities are endless."

* * *

Rose was in heaven as she rested her head against Scorpius while they danced.

"You look beautiful." He whispered in her ear and she smirked at that, thinking that that would be something Scorpius Malfoy would rather have died than say to her a couple of years ago.

"Thank you."

"Have you heard from your parents?" They stood still now, both knowing what a sensitive subject it really was.

"Yes, I talked to my mother in the fire earlier. She wants to meet you sometime during the Christmas holiday, or are you staying here?"

"No, Ted invited me over a couple of days, and then perhaps I should meet up with my fate at the mansion."

"Have you heard anything from them?" The anxiety was clear in her face, but perished when he swiftly kissed her.

"Only my grand father that hoped that I would be happy with the blood traitors and that I shouldn't bother to try and contact him." Scorpius smiled at this as he twirled his girlfriend to then spin her up close to him again.

"And your father?" Rose smiled back at him and gave him a passionate kiss before saying in a breathless voice.

"He'll get over it."


	29. Preview

**A/N:** Sort of preview for the continuation of this story, which will later be posted on its own. I believe it will be called Bright Sunrise. Let me know what you think ;)

Almost forgot, for those who haven't read it, I changed the last chapter, it's a little shorter, but I like the new version better, if you haven't read it, perhaps you should.

* * *

"Rose, we need to go now, not later or in a second, **now**."

"Ok, ok… I'm here, shall we proceed, _**oh great Scorpius**_?" Scorpius bent forward slightly and kissed the top of her head before he held out his arm for her to take. "You know it's not like they are going to notice that we are a _little_ late, there will be a lot of people there."

"You know that your father are going to stand watch by the door to see when we arrive, just waiting to point out some of my many faults."

"He's stopped doing that."

"Well perhaps, but I can see what he's thinking, love." Rose smiled and kissed him lightly on the cheek while she snaked her arm around his waist.

"Just do what everyone else does, _**ignore**_ him."

"Now we are late." Scorpius mumbled as his lips met hers. "_Really late_…" His hands brought her head closer as he ran them through her hair and she smiled against him. As they broke off the kiss Rose wiggled her eyebrows and tried to make her voice huskier.

"We could stay here…" But she was cut off when Scorpius disapparated with her in a tight embrace.

They could hear voices from inside the house as they made their way through the snow up to the Burrow. The house seemed to glow with the warm and inviting atmosphere inside, something Scorpius had loved since the first time Rose brought him there.

* * *

"**Scorpius!**" Scorpius was almost tackled to the ground by the laughing girl who had rushed out of the door which he had moments before been about to knock on. Lips crashed onto his and he had a hard time controlling himself and not make it into a heavy make out session as her hands moved over his chest and up into his hair.

"I'm happy to see you too, Rose." He managed to say when they resurfaced to breath.

"You better be." She hugged him again before letting go and taking a step back to get a good look at him.

"I can't have changed that much since we said good bye at King's Cross." Rose smiled and his world was immediatly brighter.

"That's just it, you are still Scorpius Malfoy. Come on, I want you to met mum."


End file.
